Meet Dr Alexandra Ure from the MIME MedTech Commercialisation Advancement Program (MCAP)
The MIME MedTech Commercialisation Advancement Program (MCAP) provides focused assistance to early stage technologies developed by teams of multidisciplinary medical technology innovators from universities and healthcare facilities. We spoke to Dr Alexandra Ure who was involved in the MIME MCAP program during 2024.
What is your background?
I am a clinical psychologist and specialise in working with children and families. Much of my clinical experience has involved supporting neurodivergent children and their families in public hospital settings. My research is shaped by their lived experience and sits alongside this clinical work.
Can you tell us about your main area of research and the projects you lead?
I lead the Mental Health: Care, Support and Services research stream within the Complex Autism & Neurodevelopment (CAN) Group in Paediatrics at Monash University. We are a group of individuals with lived experience and academic clinicians providing care to children and families in paediatric health services and schools across Melbourne. Our program of work is focused on the co-creation, implementation and evaluation of healthcare practices that optimise care for children and families with complex needs.
Some current projects include investigating how we can better support neurodivergent children who have experienced trauma/adversity and a pilot program to support families who have a child with a new neurodevelopmental diagnosis. We are also working with the community to co-create UNIQUE, a digital tool enabling autistic children and families to share their abilities, preferences and support needs to others involved in their care.
Can you tell us about your involvement in the MIME MedTech Commercialisation Advancement Program (MCAP)?
The team behind UNIQUE went through the MIME MCAP during 2024. To have such an impressive brains trust dedicated to our project for 10 weeks was a real privilege. We engaged in all sorts of activities – for example, we delved into the nitty gritty detail of how our solution could help families, clinicians and healthcare more broadly. We were also encouraged to think big about the potential global impact. I was really buoyed by the enthusiasm and belief in our project from the MCAP team and grateful for their capacity to generate numbers to back up their exuberance!
How did the MCAP help you in your translational research innovation journey?
Parents told us it would be valuable to have a digital tool to share information about their child in emergency settings. The seed funding we initially received from MIME meant it was possible to turn this nugget of an idea into a prototype but our skill set only enabled us to get so far. MCAP expanded our capacity to understand the economic value of our work and what steps to take next on the path to commercialisation. The experience supercharged our progress.
Who has influenced your research the most and why?
I feel pretty lucky to have the opportunity to meet so many delightfully different children and families in the clinic – unquestionably they are the biggest influencers of my research. Their experiences and priorities set our research agenda and our ongoing collaborations with them and their community inform and enhance all of our projects.
What is the most rewarding part of what you do?
I feel strongly about equitable access to healthcare and the representation of traditionally underserved communities in research. I love that we can embed pilot programs like UNIQUE directly into public healthcare so that our community has first access and can benefit from them.
What has been the highlight of your career to date?
I am not sure I can distil just one thing. I have loved all the learning, advocating for change and supporting early career clinicians find their groove as scientist practitioners.
What advice would you give to students interested in your field of study?
Research fuels better clinical practices, while clinical experiences shape meaningful research questions. You can do it all! Bring your friends along on the journey too because research is a team sport.
What are your future research plans?
I have a new role at Monash Health where I am responsible for the strategic oversight and clinical translation of psychology research. I am excited about this opportunity to spread my wings a little and support psychologists from across the service to bring research into their everyday clinical work.
Learn more on the MIME MedTech Commercialisation Advancement Program (MCAP) here.