Serial entreprenuer Dr Michelle Perugini heads to University of SA to commercialise research

Health and technology entrepreneur Dr Michelle Perugini has joined the University of South Australia as its new Head of Commercialisation.

The cancer researcher turned artificial intelligence (AI) expert cofounded two successful AI startups with her husband Dr Don Perguni, who was a research scientist for the Department of Defence, developing AI technology

ISD Analytics, founded in 2008, was a predictive analytics solution for human behaviour in areas such as health, education, and energy, acquired by EY in 2015. Their next venture, Presagen, developed an AI IVF tool, Life Whisperer, recently acquired by global medical equipment manufacturer, Astec.

UniSA is a second homecoming for Perugini who received her degrees in biotech and medicine there and at University of Adelaide before working as a researcher UniSA at its Centre for Cancer Biology.

She will lead university’s intellectual property (IP) and research translation activities including as CEO of UniSA Ventures, its commercialisation fund.

UniSA director of enterprise partnerships Peter Stevens said their Enterprise Hub is the base for the uni’s homegrown startups, with more than 100 commercial deals struck from emerging research in the past decade also creating 30 spin-out companies.

“While Australia has a strong reputation for discovery research, it has a relatively poor record for translation compared to other geographies such as the USA, Europe, and UK,” he said.

“This newly created position recognises the critical importance of research translation and innovation, including the crucial role universities play in commercialising research to grow the Australian economy and improve lives around the world.”

Dr Perugini said she has “a deep appreciation” for the complexity of university research commercialisation.

“I am excited to bring my academic and commercial experience to UniSA to work with its outstanding researchers and commercialisation team,” she said.

“I am looking forward to helping expand UniSA’s impressive outcomes in research commercialisation, and facilitating partnerships between more of its innovative researchers, and industry and investor partners.”