Emeritus Professor Mark Pearcy

Emeritus Professor

DEng (Bristol University), PhD (University of Strathclyde), BSc(Hons) (University of Bristol)

Broad Area of Research:

Medical Engineering

Emeritus Professor Pearcy was the Foundation Chair of Biomedical Engineering in the School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering at QUT. He has conducted research over the last thirty five years in spinal mechanics, fracture fixation and healing, total joint replacement design, lubrication of artificial joints, the relationship between the biological response to wear particles and implant loosening, and many other areas of biomedical engineering. In 2004 Engineers Australia - College of Biomedical Engineers honoured Professor Pearcy with the David Dewhurst Award for Biomedical Engineering Excellence for his outstanding service to the profession. In 2015 he was honoured further by being inducted into the Engineers Australia, Queensland Division, Engineering Hall of Fame. Professor Pearcy took up the role as QUT’s Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering in 1996 and retired in 2015.

Research

Professor Pearcy was instrumental in developing the QUT’s ‘Orthopaedic and Trauma Queensland’ research group which consisted of three externally funded research groups:

• Chair of Orthopaedic Research, Professor Ross Crawford (Supported by Queensland Health)
• Chair of Trauma, Professor Michael Schuetz (Supported by Queensland Health)
• Paediatric Spine Research Group, Adjunct Professor Geoff Askin, Associate Professor Clayton Adam, Adjunct Associate Professor Rob Labrom and Ms Maree Izatt (Supported by Medtronic and Synthes DePuy). In 2017 this group was renamed to be the Biomechanics and Spine Research Group, now under the leadership of Associate Professor Paige Little.

Orthopaedic and Trauma Queensland subsequently included: QUT’s research capacity building position, Chair of Regenerative Medicine, Professor Dietmar Hutmacher; Professor Travis Klein; Professor MiaWoodruff; and Professor Christian Langton, Head of the Quantitative Ultrasound Imaging & Characterisation Research Group.

Areas of Research Within the broad field of Medical Engineering, Professor Mark Pearcy is involved in the following areas:

• Spinal Mechanics, Modelling and Spinal Disorders
• Fracture Healing
• Ventricular Assist Devices, Artificial hearts and other cardiac devices
• Orthopaedic Engineering

Grant

Funding Professor Pearcy received over $4.5M in research funding since the year 1996. Orthopaedics and Trauma Queensland now receives $1M annually from its supporting organisations for its core activities and approximately $3M for specific research projects from government and company sources.

Selected List of Awarded Grants Professor Mark Pearcy was part of a development committee that was instrumental in obtaining funding (Total of $72M) from the Queensland Government and an American philanthropist to build QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI) that commenced operation in 2006. Professor Pearcy also played a leading role of a group that was awarded $5M from the Queensland Government and further funding from two international orthopaedic companies for the $10M Medical Engineering Research Facility (MERF). MERF, built on The Prince Charles Hospital campus, commenced operation in 2008. It is a purpose built facility for research and training incorporating an anatomical skills laboratory for the training of surgeons and other health professionals.

Awards and Recognitions

• 2015: Inducted into the Engineers Australia, Queensland Division, Engineering Hall of Fame
• 2015: Awarded the title Emeritus Professor by QUT
• 2009: Awarded a Doctor of Engineering degree (DEng) from the University of Bristol, UK
• 2008: International Congress on Biomedical Engineering Honorary Distinguished Award for distinguished contributions in the field of Biomedical Engineering and the ICBME series of conferences over the years
• 2005: Nominated for QUT Innovative Use of On-Line Teaching Award
• 2005: Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, QUT, Outstanding Contribution to Research Award
• 2005: Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, QUT, Teaching Award Commendation
• 2004: Engineers Australia, College of Biomedical Engineers, David Dewhurst Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession of Biomedical Engineering
• 2000: Spine Society of Australia Research Award
• 1992: Spine Society of Australia Research Award
• 1989: Nominated (Bioengineering Research Group, University of Durham,UK) for the Variety Club of Great Britain's Northern Personality of the Year Award for 1989

Career History

• Current position:
• 2015 - present:Emeritus Professor of Biomedical Engineering, QUT
  • 1996 - 2015: Professor of Biomedical Engineering, QUT
  • 2011- 2014: Leader, Discipline of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics, School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineerrng, QUT
  • 2011 - 2014: Leader, Medical Device Domain, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, QUT
  • 2006 - 2010: Director, Medical Engineering Research Facility, QUT
  • 2005 - 2008: Leader, Medical Device Domain, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, QUT
  • 2004 - 2008: Leader, Medical Engineering Theme, Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, QUT
  • 1999 – 2000: Acting Head, School of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Medical Engineering, QUT

• 1994-1996: Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Flinders University, South Australia
• 1990 - 1994: Chief Hospital Scientist, Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia.
• 1984 - 1990: Lecturer in Bioengineering, University of Durham, England
• 1979-1984: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Oxford Orthopaedic Engineering Centre, University of Oxford, UK.

Projects

• Improved spinal health through innovative research into mattress design

Additional information