Nina Langer: Menzies Scholar 2022
Nina Langer is a mechanical engineer and PhD candidate at Monash University bringing innovation to cardiovascular healthcare through her research and development of a heart-assist pump to improve the quality of life of patients with heart failure. In 2022, Nina was a MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholar.
One particular challenge contributing to worldwide healthcare burdens lies in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which lacks enough research despite accounting for approximately 50 percent of cases leading to heart failure. Nina was motivated to explore and develop innovative solutions with the goal of improving health and quality of life for people across the globe.
"The unique interdisciplinary nature of the program -- connecting academia, engineering faculties and the collaboration with entrepreneurs -- provided a unique perspective on the MedTech industry."
Throughout Nina's journey as a 2022 MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholar, she gained valuable knowledge about commercialisation strategies and business models, which she is applying to her research project and beyond.
"The Menzies Scholarship Program offered me insights into the process of bringing a product to market and helped me determine my project's stage and plan ahead."
Nina participated in a series of workshops and interactive online coaching sessions, sought guidance from industry experts and inspiring founders, and developed a well-defined career plan for moving forward post-PhD.
Since completing the program, Nina has continued her PhD studies, taking her expanded skill set and drive for innovation, and is working on the product development of her novel ventricular assist device for patients with heart failure.
"I highly recommend the Menzies Program due to its personalised approach and emphasis on individual projects. This tailored support fosters valuable learning and enables participants to effectively apply these learnings to their own projects."
Are you a future MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholar?
Applications are now open for the 2023 MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholarships. The MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholarship is supported by the Menzies Foundation as part of their Entrepreneurship in Science mission.