Science Business Inspiration Series Launches at TRI
The Science Business Inspiration Series launched today with speakers Tim Daly from Skin Analytics and Dr Tracey Mynott from Anatara Lifesciences. The event is organised by a committee of researchers eager to build their business knowledge and connections, representing our partners Mater Medical Research, The University of Qld, Qld University of Technology and the PA Hospital.
> Read more about the series & upcoming events
SESSION 1 - THE WHOLE JOURNEY: FROM IDEA TO REALITY
The first session was chaired by PA Hospital's Bene Cartmill PhD and Mater Research Institute PhD Candidate Sherman Leung. The speakers for this session were selected based on their experiences in taking an idea to a business reality. Dr Tracey Mynott from Anatara Lifesciences shared her journey translating core research about pineapple roots and piglet gut health to a publicly listed company, changing the livestock industry globally. Tim Daly from Skin Analytics shared their journey of app development in mole tracking and melanoma detection, covering the challenges of funding and integrating with medical research.
Speaker 1 - Dr Tracey Mynott
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Tracey is the co-founder of Anatara Lifesciences (ASX: ANR) that is focussed on developing therapeutics for gastrointestinal diseases in production animals and humans. Its lead product Detach® is a plant based product that will help reduce the use of antibiotics and address global concerns around antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Tracey is the former Head of Business Development at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research. She has also held senior management positions in public and private Australian and UK biotechnology companies, where she has successfully discovered and patented several technologies, devised and directed drug development and clinical programs, developed and implemented business strategies, including licensing, acquisitions, capital raising and marketing. Tracey’s has a PhD in the physiology and pathology of enteric infections, and maintains an interest in the effects of novel proteases on p21Ras and MAP kinase signalling and immune regulation. She has conducted post-doctoral studies at The Center for Vaccine Development at the University of Maryland in USA, the Division of Gastroenterology within The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in New York, the Digestive Diseases Research Centre at the Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital in London and in the Department of Biochemistry, Imperial College in London. |
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Dr Tracey Moynott from Anatara LifeSciences talks about the 30 year overnight success story which took a scientific discovery along a business journey, to finally end up a publicly listed company providing a natural alternative to antibiotics. Tracey provided the following top tips from her career experiences:
Don't give up your PhD. You'll regret it later.
Take a holiday before a big decision.
Find mentors who don't have a stake in your outcome.
Admit you don't know what you don't know.
Speaker 2 - Tim Daly
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Having helped found Skin Analytics in 2012, Tim has been involved in the business as a regulatory and financial advisor before setting up the Australian office in 2017. He has worked extensively at a managerial level in various government organisations and has strong experience with regulation and oversight which he brings to the company. Skin Analytics is a startup in its 6th year developing technology to bring tests, which traditionally can only be done by a doctor, into the home. The apps and devices in development are designed to collect information about a mole and compare its changes over time. Eventually, when enough data is collected, comparisons could assist in the diagnosis of melanoma. The tech company is conducting a clinical study and working with clinicians, industry, investors and consumers to develop tools for better health. |
Tim Daly shared the 5 year progress so far of AI melanoma tracking app, Skin Analytics, which provides a way for individuals with moles to track the changes over time using their mobile device.
"The ground work relationship building got us through the challenges and failures. All that work we'd done at the beginning showing our passion and ethics payed off and investors stuck with us."
Tim talked about the variety of funding models and directions the business has taken to prove the effectiveness of the technology, sharing the roadblocks as well as the successes. Software doesn't always work as intended, but Tim was able to confirm that his wife was eating his easter egg from the fridge by comparing photos of the changes throughout the day - not exactly helpful for melanoma tracking, but a useful learning opportunity for the business development team.
