Internationally recognised biomedical engineering and sleep-disorder expert Professor Philip de Chazal has been appointed ResMed Chair in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Sydney. Professor de Chazal will lead the University's research and educational activities in biomedical engineering, working across the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies and the newly established Charles Perkins Centre.
"Sleep-disordered breathing is a global health problem affecting one in five adults, and has broad implications in other chronic conditions, such as hypertension and cardiac arrest,"said Professor de Chazal. "My work at the University of Sydney will focus on the application and development of systems and technologies to improve early recognition, diagnosis and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing."
"Professor de Chazal's appointment, made possible through our partnership with ResMed, will bring to life cross-disciplinary research conducted in state-of-the-art specialist facilities in our Charles Perkins Centre,"said Professor Jill Trewhella, University of Sydney Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research. "Biomedical engineers work side-by-side with scientists, social scientists and clinical researchers working in sleep, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease."
"ResMed is proud to support innovative research in biomedical engineering and sleep-disordered breathing through our partnership with the University of Sydney,"said Mick Farrell, ResMed's CEO. "The University's focus on cross-specialty collaboration, paired with Professor de Chazal's track record as a medical diagnostics innovator is an exciting combination with potential to provide new insights to better diagnose, treat and manage life-threatening and costly diseases."
A biomedical engineering and ARC Research Fellow, Professor de Chazal worked in Europe where he was the co-founder, director and Chief Technical Officer of BiancaMed, a company arising from the University College Dublin (UCD) with research focus into the detection of sleep apnea using minimally invasive sensors. He was also a research fellow at University College Dublin and an experimental scientist with Ultrasonic Institute, CSIRO, Sydney.
"This appointment strengthens our biomedical engineering research endeavours and comes off the back of our $2milllion biomedical engineering alliance with China's Shanghai Jiaotong University,"said Professor Archie Johnston, University of Sydney Dean of theFaculty of Engineering and Information Technologies.
"With the appointment of this new Chair, additional research projects will be established including the investigation of innovative technologies for cost effective screening, telemedicine, and tele-monitoring that relates to rehabilitation, patient self-management and innovative models of care."
Professor de Chazal will work closely with the yet to be appointed ResMed Chair in Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Chronic Disease Management to help shape the future of chronic disease management in Australia through dialogue with Australia's general university community, industry and government.
About ResMed
ResMed changes lives by developing, manufacturing and distributing medical equipment for treating, diagnosing, and managing sleep-disordered breathing, COPD, and other chronic diseases. We develop innovative products and solutions to improve the health and quality of life of those who suffer from these conditions, and we work to raise awareness of the potentially serious health consequences of untreated sleep-disordered breathing.
Media enquiries: Victoria Hollick, victoria.hollick@sydney.edu.au, 0401 711 361