Breath Of Fresh Air
Transforming Lung Health With Cross Cancer Knowledge
How might we take lessons learned in cancer fields facing similar early detection challenges and gain fresh perspectives from those outside the medical field to shape a more hopeful future for lung cancer patients?
In partnership with AstraZeneca, the UNSW Founders brings you this 1-day rapid problem-solving event invites big vision thinkers to come together to create innovative and sustainable solutions to improve the outcome for people living with Lung Cancer.
Event details
Lung cancer remains Australia’s leading cause of cancer deaths, with a 5-year survival rate only 20.2%^ comparatively, the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer & prostate cancer are 91.5% and 95.5% respectively^.
New and innovative solutions are needed to diagnose patients earlier, enhance patient outcomes and reduce mortality rates.
Lessons learned from successfully managing other cancers with similar challenges can serve as a valuable foundation for developing strategies for lung cancer.
Early screening for lung cancer is vital as it enables the detection of the disease at its most treatable stages, improving the chances of successful treatment.
By leveraging collective knowledge, expertise, and creativity, this challenge has the potential to inspire ground-breaking solutions that revolutionize lung cancer care and save lives.
With a share of $7000 cash prizes up for grabs (provided by UNSW), challenge participants will tackle the problem challenge:
How might we take lessons learned in cancer fields facing similar early detection challenges, and gain fresh perspectives from those outside the medical field, to shape a more hopeful future for lung cancer patients?
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This event invites big vision individuals from multiple disciplines beyond healthcare, to create innovative and long-term sustainable solutions that impact patients, healthcare professions, or the broader ecosystem to improve outcomes for those living with lung cancer.
In addition to the above contribution this event will also support our UNSW researchers in developing their entrepreneurial skills and strategies to achieve research impact. Enabling them to take back what they learned from the event and apply it to their own research.
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If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer^. The burden of lung cancer on patients and the healthcare system is growing.
While it’s the 5th most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, it remains the leading cause of cancer deaths^.
13,810 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 - that’s 37 per day, 42% of lung cancer is diagnosed at stage IV, where the survival rate is only 3.2% after 5 years^.
Furthermore, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are twice as likely to be diagnosed with, and die from Lung Cancer than non-Indigenous Australians^.
Innovative solutions are urgently needed to address the disparities in care and outcomes for lung cancer patients, and to diagnose these patients earlier when their disease is more treatable. -
The Innovation Challenge framework brings people together to collaborate to help solve a problem within a restricted timeframe.
Working in multi-disciplinary teams, participants will generate ideas with the support of subject matter and innovation experts, and consider factors for success. The Challenge concludes with a Pitching Session where teams present their final idea to a panel of judges and be in for a chance to win a prize.
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There are $7000 of cash prizes to be won:
First place $4000
Runner Up $2000
People’s Choice $1000
The prize will be split equally across all team members.
(prize money provided by UNSW). -
You don’t need to be a lung cancer expert to participate in this Challenge.
Persons with experience and knowledge, and a genuine interest in the problem challenge are invited to submit an expression of interest to join this challenge.
We’re particularly interest in hearing from those who have expertise in other disease areas or cancers that they feel will be of value to the problem being addressed.Others, such as clinicians, engineers, chemists, scientists, students, business experts, health economists, industry experts/mentors, legal experts, regulatory experts, government, local health districts/implementation are invited to submit an expression of interest highlighting relevant skill set.
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During this Challenge participants will hear from expert speakers and receive guidance from mentors from diverse areas of expertise as well as workshops to maximise your creative problem-solving capabilities to create innovative and sustainable solutions.
Refer to the Challenge Support section to view speakers, mentors and judges supporting this Challenge.
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AstraZeneca and the UNSW Founders Program are committed to the success of your ideas.
All teams and individuals will be supported as appropriate to the teams needs and the idea. This support may extend to other UNSW support services.
Ask our friendly UNSW Founders team what support is available to you.
founders@unsw.edu.au -
Challenge support: Speakers, Mentors and Judges
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![Mentor - Ian Goon]()
Ian Goon (Mentor)
Ian is equally adept in the technical, commercial and social aspects of bringing innovative ideas to life. Ian is committed to driving the translation of healthcare innovations that will allow us to effectively navigate the mounting challenges we face in delivering quality, user-centred healthcare.
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![Mentor - Steve Palmer]()
Steve Palmer (Mentor)
Steve is the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct (RHIP) Industry & Innovation Lead. He leads the design of industry and innovation strategy and works collaboratively with the RHIP Partners to support health technology innovation and industry engagement opportunities. Steve has extensive experience in preclinical drug development strategies, intellectual property management and technology transfer.
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![Mentor - Robert Milsom]()
Robert Milsom (Mentor)
Robert is a Healthcare/HealthTech Industry Lead & Early Stage Start-up Business Advisor. Co-Founder at Medvine.
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![Mentor - Joseph Po]()
Joseph Po (Mentor)
Joseph is a Proactive, results-driven professional with over 10 years of experience in medical research and healthcare. Experienced in developing relationships with internal/external stakeholders and KOLs including medical teams, commercial partners and research group leaders in the multidisciplinary setting.
Passionate about innovation in the healthcare and medical technology sectors.
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![Mentor - Pedro Maceratta]()
Pedro Maceratta (Mentor)
Pedro is a technologist with over 12 years of experience driving innovation across industries. He loves diving into complex technical challenges and his journey has been marked with multiple awards for his innovative thinking, execution and leadership skills.
With experience in artificial intelligence, strategy and communication skills to articulate ideas to different audiences from general public to C-level executives and investors, his goal is to build products that not only provide exceptional customer experiences, but also generate tangible results for businesses and the broad community.
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![Mentor - Janna McCann]()
Janna McCann (Mentor)
Janna has over 30 years experience as an innovation specialist across healthcare, fmcg, finance, startups and consulting both locally and internationally. She is passionate about the role design thinking and behavioural science have in delivering human solutions that stick and stimulate positive, sustainable change in people’s daily lives. Her motto: ‘Potential’ solutions can be a dime a dozen - but the right questions are scarce.
Janna is currently Head of Innovation at AstraZeneca
Teams and prize winners
Team 6 - FIRST PLACE PRIZE $4000
Team Lung Story Short - RUNNER UP PRIZE $2000
Team Lung Story Short- PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD $1000
Team Tranqui Lungs
Team BreatheMate
Team UrLung
Team 5
Team CAN Screen
AstraZeneca Pty. Ltd. ABN 54 009 682 311. 66 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113.
www.astrazeneca.com.au. AU-17549 Date of Preparation: February 2024