MIME Welcomes Deputy Director, Director of Research Laurence Meagher

Earlier this year Laurence Meagher, joined MIME as the Deputy Director, Director of Research. Laurence joined MIME and Monash University from CSIRO where he worked for the last 16 years in a variety of leadership roles, including Program Leader in the CRC for Polymers, Research Group Leader, Supramolecular Materials and Stream Leader in the Biomedical Materials Theme in CSIRO. He brings a diverse leadership profile to MIME, extensive experience in science strategy and delivery in both academic and commercial arenas as well as strong experience in commercialisation and intellectual property. He is an inventor on 17 granted, PCT and provisional patents.

Laurence's research focus is in the development of materials for biomedical application such as bioactive surface coatings, antibacterial polymers and surface coatings, bioactive molecules and drug/biomolecule delivery vehicles. In the last decade, Laurence’s research has largely been focused on the development of bioactive surface coatings for commercial application, for example, in the development of materials and surface coatings for ex vivo stem cell expansion in the cell therapies and regenerative medicine area and “stealth” coatings for biomedical implants and antibacterial materials and coatings. These development efforts have all required deep collaboration between commercial partners, surface/material scientists, synthetic organic and polymer chemists, biologists and clinicians. Laurence’s achievements include developments in the area of silicone hydrogel contact lenses, where he was part of a team that developed CIBA Vision’s second generation Air OptixTM product. Laurence is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.