View the recording of the talk here.

Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, robotics, 3D bone printing and ‘smart’ implants – high tech innovation is revolutionising the future of surgery and medicine. Come and hear our leading surgeons and researchers explain how futuristic technology could soon be coming to an operating theatre near you! 

Date: Wednesday 26 July 2023
Time: 5.30pm - 7.00pm
Venue: University of Otago, Christchurch (2 Riccarton Avenue - Main Campus Building)

Speakers:
Professor Tim Eglinton
Rise of the Machines: This Time, the Robots Really are Coming
Tim Eglinton is Head of the Department of Surgery and Critical Care at UOC and a specialist in minimally invasive abdominal surgery. 
Surgeons have always sought to improve precision in surgery and since the end of last century, rudimentary robots have been employed for this purpose. Now, rapid expansion of robotic platforms, combined with an explosion in AI technology, see us at the dawn of an epoch of true autonomous robotic surgery. After decades of merely assisting surgeons, the machines are ready to take charge. This time, the robots really are coming! 

Professor Gary Hooper
Your back, knee, ankle and hip operation, “smart” implants, robotics and O-arms
Professor Gary Hooper is Head of Department, Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago Christchurch.
He is a past president of the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association and New Zealand Knee Society and past senior examiner for the Royal Australasian College of Surgery. He is chairman of the New Zealand Joint Registry Trust and has been a consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with the Canterbury District Health Board since 1985.
His main areas of clinical interest include knee injuries and adult reconstructive hip and knee surgery, with over 200 publications in peer reviewed journals.
He is active in undergraduate and postgraduate education and heads an active research department specialising in bioengineering of tissues (in particular articular cartilage), implant development, 3-D printing of bio-active surfaces, joint replacement outcomes, rehabilitation following musculoskeletal disorders and fracture healing. He is active in promoting Orthopaedic research within New Zealand and the Canterbury area.

Professor Tim Woodfield
3D bone printing, custom titanium implants. fat grafts, what surgery will look like in the future
Tim Woodfield is Professor of Regenerative Medicine in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at University of Otago Christchurch, and Director of the University of Otago Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine.
Prof Woodfield obtained a BEng from University of Canterbury (1997), MASc from University of Toronto, Canada (2000), and PhD and postdoctoral fellowship from University of Twente/IsoTis Orthobiologics, Netherlands (2005).
His transdisciplinary research focuses on musculoskeletal regenerative medicine, investigating novel cell/stem cell therapies, 3D Bioprinting, personalised medicine and 3D Printing of orthopaedic implants. He has >140 publications (h-index: 47) and obtained >$28M in research funding. He is a Fellow in Biomaterials Science & Engineering (FBSE) and President of the International Society for Biofabrication. 

Associate Professor Tracy Melzer
Eyes inside the body – the future for scans and imaging to diagnose disease, MR, PET, Alzheimer’s proteins, Parkinson’s and the future of scans. Current cutting edge imaging techniques and imaging on the horizon.
Dr Tracy Melzer is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, at the University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand, and the Imaging Research Manager at the New Zealand Brain Research Institute. Dr Melzer is interested in the application of brain imaging techniques (MRI and PET) to understand health and disease. His interests are broad, but his primary area of research focuses on cognitive impairments and the development of dementia in Parkinson’s disease.  

View the recording of the talk here.