Professor Minghao Zheng, head of Bone and Brain Research at the Perron Institute and The University of Western Australia has been elected to the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS).
Professor Minghao Zheng is an outstanding academic pathologist globally renowned in regenerative medicine and musculoskeletal and neuro tissue engineering. He has pioneered the development of naturally derived biomaterials and biological therapies to treat trauma affecting nerves, cartilage, tendons, and bones. His groundbreaking research has significantly advanced the understanding of musculoskeletal diseases and improved treatment outcomes for patients with orthopaedic conditions and neurotrauma.
Professor Zheng’s groundbreaking work in orthopaedic and regenerative medicine has driven the development of two medical devices and one cellular product for treating cartilage, bone, and nerve injuries globally. His research has advanced understanding of musculoskeletal diseases by revealing that giant cells in bone tumours are non-tumour cells, enabling non-surgical treatment, uncovering unique pathological features of osteoarthritis in patients with obesity, and discovering mitochondrial transfer between cells, a novel mechanism critical for tissue homeostasis and blood and brain barrier structure. His innovations improve treatment outcomes for patients across Australia, the USA, and Europe.
Professor Zheng excels in translating innovative, world-class research into clinically impactful and commercially successful therapeutic products. His work has attracted significant, sustained funding at a national level, including competitive grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council and Australian Research Council, as well as substantial venture capital funding for his patented technologies for commercialisation. He is a co-founder of two biotech companies, Orthocell and Marine Biomedical in Australia. Professor Zheng has successfully transformed his research and inventions into FDA- and TGA-approved medical products, advancing healthcare outcomes globally.
His outstanding achievements have been recognised through numerous accolades, including The University of Western Australia Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Award (2016), the Innovation Excellence Award (2016), and the WA Industry and Export Awards, and a finalist in the WA Innovator of the Year Awards in 2019. In 2022, he received the UWA Vice-Chancellor’s Award for HDR Supervision. His contributions have been further honoured with the establishment of the Minghao Zheng Orthopaedic Innovation Research Award by the Australia and New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society in 2018. He is also an elected Fellow of the International Orthopaedic Research Societies, and Royal Society of Medicine.