A/Professor David Ackland 

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Associate Professor David Ackland holds BSc (Neuroscience), BE (Mechanical), and PhD degrees from the University of Melbourne. He is an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow and Deputy Director of the ARC Centre for Medical Implant Technologies in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the University of Melbourne. A/Prof Ackland is Head of the Biomechanics Research group in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the University of Melbourne. A/Prof. Ackland's research focuses on computational modelling and experimentation in human movement biomechanics, with a particular emphasis on upper limb orthopaedics and maxillofacial surgery. His research group employs medical imaging, human motion experiments, musculoskeletal modelling, and in vitro biomechanical experiments in the evaluation of muscle and joint function. A/Prof. Ackland has a particular interest in design and evaluation of implantable devices for the treatment of end-stage bone and joint conditions. He was involved in the design of Australia’s first customised jaw-joint replacement prosthesis, which has restored jaw function in over 300 Australians suffering debilitating pain and deformities of the jaw associated with congenital and degenerative abnormalities, as well as trauma and cancer. This prosthesis has resulted in a spin-off company, OMX Solution Pty Ltd (now Maxoniq), that is founded by Dr George Dimitroulis; the company is dedicated to design and manufacture of personalised implantable maxillofacial devices.

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A/Prof. Ackland has attracted $7M in research funds from the ARC, NHMRC, government and industry. He works with orthopaedic industry, including multi-national companies such as Lima, Smith & Nephew and Zimmer-Biomet. His collaborations also include Epworth Healthcare, St Vincent’s Hospital, the Avenue Private Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, as well as CSIRO and the Defence Science and Technology Group. His international collaborators include researchers from Stuttgart University (Germany), ETH Zurich (Switzerland), and Auckland Bioengineering Institute (Auckland). A/Prof Ackland is the treasurer of the Australian and New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society (ANZORS), and a member of the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA).