Distinguished Australian biomedical engineer Professor Karen Reynolds will lead a group mission to Singapore at the end of this month to broaden Flinders University’s international research and development horizons.

Professor Reynolds – who was named a finalist in the recent Women in Innovation Awards SA – will lead the Flinders delegation in the Australian Future Unlimited Research Mission 2014: Medical Technology and Devices, from September 30 to October 2.

Facilitated by the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), Flinders is one of five Australian universities participating in the mission and the only university to represent South Australia.

Professor Reynolds said the aim for Flinders is to strengthen existing relationships and form new collaborations with Singapore research institutions.

She said the University is also interested in exploring cotutelle PhDs with several Singapore universities and building commercial links with business and industry.

“The main purpose of the Austrade mission is to showcase innovative Australian research in the high-tech field of medical devices; to highlight opportunities for new and enhanced research collaborations; and to facilitate connections between Australian and Singapore researchers,” Professor Reynolds, who heads the Medical Device Research Institute (MDRI) at Flinders University, said.

“The ultimate aim is to transform the research partnerships that emerge from the mission into commercial technologies that bring benefits to industry, governments and end-users,” she said.

“As a world leader in the development of medical devices, it’s only fitting that Flinders has been invited to show to Singapore our strengths in this area.”

Members of the Flinders delegation are Professor Mark Taylor, Strategic Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Professor John Arkwright, South Australian Premier’s Professorial Research Fellow in Biomedical Engineering, and Carmela Sergi, Manager of the Medical Device Research Institute.