Robotics is one of the big frontiers of research endeavours across the world and in a few short weeks the pride of South Western Sydney, the Ingham Institute, will unveil its own robotics hub at Liverpool.
But this won’t just be a basic robotics engine room located across the street from Liverpool Hospital.
As Ingham Institute research director Les Bokey tells the South West Voice when he takes us inside for a sneak peek into the future, this move will catapult the Ingham Institute to the forefront of robotics research and application in Australia.
Professor Bokey can hardly contain his enthusiasm as he explains how this will boost health outcomes for the people who call South Western Sydney home.
The Centre for Robotics and Health Technology Research, to give it its full name, will lead Australia in teaching and developing surgical robotics.
It will also provide remote interventional diagnostics including neurology and remote learning, interventional therapeutics, and sensing devices.
And it will enable advances in digital health including telehealth and clinical trials, education and training including academic courses in medical innovation, artificial intelligence and virtual reality, and health and hospital systems automation.
The robotics hub will also be known as the Perich Centre because the Perich family have come on board with financing.
“The Perich family have been very generous,’’ Professor Bokey says while checking it out.
In that they follow the lead of Bob Ingham, the local chicken farmer who got the Ingham Institute started almost 30 years ago.
In 1996, Ingham, who was born and bred in Casula, had a vision to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in South Western Sydney.
Also on board with financial support were Lady Mary Fairfax, and the Perich and Vitocco families.
On October 23, 2012, the Ingham Institute’s world class, state of the art research building, was officially opened by then Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Thirteen years later, and huge, ongoing research achievements, 2025 is shaping to be another seminal year for the Ingham.
A new chief executive has been appointed, Simone Proft, a highly regarded and experienced executive leader with a strong track record of more than 20 years in healthcare, research and government.
“We are thrilled to welcome Simone and have her play a critical role in delivering our multi-centre network model across South Western Sydney, as we expand out to Macarthur as a first stop,’’ says Ingham Institute chairman Terry Goldacre.
“Simone brings a wealth of healthcare and strategic management experience, fully aligned to our vision, mission and strategy.
“Her leadership will strengthen the delivery and impact of our mission to combine local purpose, national significance and global impact, by making and applying discoveries that translate to measurable improvements in health and healthcare, and radically improve the quality of life for our South Western Sydney community,’’ Mr Goldacre said.
More importantly, when it comes to putting South Western Sydney first in everything that the Ingham does, Ms Proft (pictured above) and Professor Bokey are on exactly the same wavelength.
The message from both is that the time has come for the south west to get in the ring and fight for its fair share of resources.
That was the main takeout from our meet and greet. That and a big dose of infectious enthusiasm for the task ahead for the Ingham.
