Dr Erol Harvey
Dr Harvey’s tertiary education began with a Bachelor of Science (Hon), followed by a PhD in Physics, with a background in ultra-high power laser and plasma physics.
From university, Erol proceeded to work on the application of lasers for microtechnology in a startup company in Oxford, UK, before returning to Australia to become a Professor of Microtechnology at Swinburne University. He co-founded MiniFAB in 2002 and was CEO and Director for 17 years, growing the company to 200 people with offices around the world, before selling the company to Schott GmbH in 2019. MiniFAB is a contract developer and manufacturer of medical diagnostics, microfluidics and polymer nano-engineered components.
Initially, Erol joined the Bionics Institute as a consultant on strategy, then as an employee in his current role as Head of Development and Research Translation. When asked why he chose to work at the Institute, Erol modestly replied “my ideal has always been to work with people who are much smarter than me.” He is excited that the work being done at the Bionics Institute is at the leading edge of technology, with real impact; changing the way people live. Erol sees it as an amazing privilege to be able to help the researchers translate their science into clinically-valuable products and services.
Working in this area was appealing to Erol as it uses both science and engineering. Science is a tool that makes sense of the complex inter-relationship between physical systems. In the case of the Bionics Institute, this is mostly about how the electrical signals of the nervous system enable us to live. Engineering is a tool that translates scientific understanding into real-world products that people can use to improve their lives.
Erol is passionate about converting great science into great clinical outcomes, and his goal whilst working at the Institute is to encourage more researchers to become engaged in the challenging and incredibly rewarding activity of research translation into clinical impact, and also to have fun!
I enjoy working at the Bionics Institute because of the atmosphere; smart people doing amazing things, highly respectful of their co-workers and passionate about improving the health of patients with chronic health conditions. Dr Erol Harvey
