Engineering better health
Jointly headed by co-directors Associate Professor David White (pictured) and Senior Lecturer of Biosciences Catherine Crofts, the AUT BioDesign Lab is a place of creativity and productive collaboration, across the university and directly with industry partners.
Prosthetic fins for injured sea turtles
Researchers from the AUT BioDesign Lab have developed a prosthetic fin to rehabilitate injured sea turtles. To help injured turtles, PhD student Nick van der Geest and his supervisor Dr Lorenzo Garcia worked on four-dimensional turtle fin kinematics and the optimisation of the fin geometry to bio mimic the movement of a real fin.
BioDesign Lab delivers new solutions
Bringing together researchers from different industries and specialisations to develop and apply new medical technologies and therapies is the focus for the AUT BioDesign Lab – but it also plays a crucial role in introducing students to new research opportunities and ways of working.
Towards a new era of health research and patient empowerment
"I’m not predicting that technology will replace health professionals, but it will augment them. Accurate information can help build the foundation of a true partnership in health and beyond that, optimal performance."
Research areas
Our core focus is on developing both health and wellness solutions to personalise and optimise healthcare and human performance. Learn about our research projects.
Meet the team
The BioDesign Lab has a diverse team of engineers, designers, researchers and clinicians working across a range of projects.