Associate ProfessorDebbie Munro

The candidate served as a mentor for the UCE Disrupt Challenge, an innovation event focused on the future of health in Aotearoa, delivered in partnership with Te Papa Hauora Christchurch Health Precinct. The challenge brought together tertiary students from across Canterbury to develop solutions to key health sector issues, including equity in health, community well-being, and inter-professional collaboration. As a mentor, they participated in an in-person session on Saturday 10 August 2024 at the Manawa building in Christchurch, where they provided feedback and guidance to interdisciplinary student teams on the ideas and concepts they were developing.

University of Canterbury

MedTech CoRE & CMDT invite submissions for the 2021 HealthTech Award for the Best Translational Research Project. This prestigious award is open to researchers associated with the MedTech CoRE, and recognises exceptional projects which have potential to make a significant impact on a major healthcare problem, demonstrate innovation in concept, have potential for translation and/or commercialisation and are effectively communicated. Specifically, this award is for teams in the early stages of research translation where the concept has been validated with users, and a potential route to market identified. If the team has already formed a spinout company as part of this translation, the company may not be more than 6 months old at the time of submission.

Biomolecular Interaction Centre, University of Canterbury

Winner of the inaugural HealthTech Supernode Challenge - a national innovation challenge powered by ChristchurchNZ, Kiwinet, and Ryman Healthcare. Topic was "Diagnostic, Implantable Sensor for Spinal Fusion".

Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Canterbury

In Tonga 30 - 50% of its medical equipment is donated. This potentially life-saving gear often arrives mostly used or near its expiration date, and can be in various states of repair, and sometimes arrives without a manual. That's why a team of seven Canterbury University student engineers have been lending their hands to help fix it as part of a summer project. They're also advocating for changes to the current donation policies. Kathryn is joined by Senior Lecturer in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Dr Debbie Munro who started the initiative, as well as UC student Amy Fellowes and UC graduate Sam Tullett.

Debbie Munro is a mechanical and biomedical engineer who says the future of biomimicry is vast. It's design inspired by how nature solves problems and Dr Munro says it won't be long before we are using it to design tiny robots that hide like cockroaches when the lights are turned on, or swarming so that they cannot be shot down or destroyed. Dr Munro has designed orthopedic implants, robotic dinosaurs for the Jurassic Park Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood and NASA's spacesuits and the SOFIA project. And she's a science fiction writer.

Bioengineering Summer Work Experience in Tonga For 10 weeks this summer, seven University of Canterbury (UC) students are going to be repairing life-saving medical equipment and engineering biomedical solutions in Tongan hospitals. Sponsored by Callaghan Innovation summer research grants, the seven UC Biomedical Engineering students are learning how to repair medical devices on campus in Christchurch, before leaving for Tonga next week on 28 November. UC Senior Lecturer in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Dr Debbie Munro is leading the initiative. Earlier this year, UC launched an annual biomedical engineering work experience in the Pacific Islands where students can combine their engineering skills with hands-on training for repairing critically needed hospital equipment.

University of Canterbury

I’m delighted to announce that my first novel, APEX, is in production, having won a publishing contract through Inkshare's Crypt TV Contest. I’m currently in the editing phase to make the APEX the best book it can possibly be for my readers. APEX is equal parts science fiction, mystery, and thriller, a case of genetic engineering gone horribly wrong.

Award for training in the use of engineering technology in the classroom.

Institutional Review Board, University of Portland

Recipient, Fifteen Year Service Award, FIRST, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the science education of our youth through robotics.

Oregon Space Grant, National Aeronautics and Space Administration