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Director, Regulatory and Industry Policy, Medical Technology Association of Australia

Jasjit Baveja holds a diverse background in both engineering and regulatory affairs within the MedTech industry. After completing her Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and Master of Biomedical Engineering, as well as a Ph.D., all from the University of New South Wales (ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ), she ventured into roles encompassing regulatory affairs at prominent MedTech companies such as ResMed, Johnson & Johnson Medical, and Boston Scientific.

With her extensive experience in regulatory affairs, Jasjit transitioned to a broader scope within the industry, assuming the role of Director, Regulatory and Industry Policy, at the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA). In this capacity, she holds significant responsibilities in shaping policies concerning regulatory matters, clinical affairs, and procurement within the MedTech sector.

Jasjit is also deeply involved in academia, serving as a lecturer at both the University of Newcastle and ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ. Her teaching focuses primarily on regulatory affairs, imparting her knowledge and expertise to the next generation of professionals in the field. Furthermore, Jasjit’s commitment to academia extends to her role on the Industrial Advisory Board of the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, where she provides strategic insights and guidance.

Clinical Technology Integration Manager, Single Digital Patient Record Implementation Authority

Andrew J Cook uses his extensive academic qualifications in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering, as well as his experience in clinical engineering and implementation of business processes in NSW Health, to deliver solutions that integrate and operate well across diverse biomedical systems. Ultimately, he conducts his work to benefit others, the organisation, and the patients. 

Andrew’s work traverses the ecosystem of health care, including collaboration with technical and clinical staff, hospital administration, and academics, which extends to external parties and vendors, inviting cross industry collaboration. 

Currently Andrew is working for NSW Health on the Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR), the largest transformational change to NSW Health in a generation, supporting the implementation of what will be the largest single instance of an electronic medical record in the world. Andrew’s focus is on integrating medical devices to streamline clinical workflows and provide near real-time access to clinical data while ensuring cybersecurity considerations and protections are in place. 

Andrew’s notable projects at NSW Health include: 

• integrating electrocardiograms, patient monitors, vital signs monitors, digital operating theatres, medication dispensing cabinets, and cardiology PACS with the electronic medical record. 

• supporting NSW Health in the assessment of new ventilators during the COVID19 pandemic, ensuring the ventilators were safe for clinical use and fit for purpose. 

• implementing new patient monitoring, anaesthetic, and ventilator platforms across multiple hospitals. 

• collaborating in the design of an intensive care equipment transport solution 

• building an upper limb prosthesis robotic training tool. 

Andrew has a Bachelor of Telecommunications Engineering, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, a PhD in Electrical Engineering, and an Executive MBA, all from ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ.

Dr Steven Farrugia is a medical device executive and inventor with over 30 years of experience in healthcare technology. He served as Chief Technology Officer at Nanosonics and held senior roles at ResMed, contributing to its growth from a startup to a global leader in respiratory care. Named on more than 300 patents and recognised as one of Australia’s Top 10 Medical Device Inventors, Steven began his career pioneering applications of AI in implantable medical devices during his PhD at the University of Sydney. He now advises universities, industry, and startups, helping shape the next generation of healthcare innovations.

Managing Director, Vestech Medical P/L

Dr Greg Roger completed his medical degree then Masters of Engineering at Sydney University, acquiring a history of medical device innovation including the highly successful Active Knee prosthesis (implanted since 1992 in Australia, USA, UK, Europe and Asia) and the RCI Screw for ACL Reconstruction, in use world-wide.  

 Appointed Hon. Prof. of Bioengineering at Sydney University and he has received numerous awards, including the 2004 Clunies Ross Award. Dr Roger works on medical device design commercialisation, helping inventors in the field of medical device innovation. Dr Roger holds numerous patents and has published widely in peer reviewed literature.

Director Medical Devices, IDE Group

Richard Sokolov has over 25 years of success in design, new product development and commercialization of medical technologies. He has worked continuously in global product development on everything from low volume, complex products to extremely high volume, highly regulated devices.

As a result, Richard holds patents on many world first technologies and is widely recognized as an expert in leading multidisciplinary project teams in the successful development and commercialization of new products for start-ups and large, multinational corporations alike. Richard started his career in medical devices at ResMed and holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree, with honours from the University of New South Wales.

He has to date co-founded and successfully grown two companies, IDE Group and Atomo Diagnostics.

Senior Manager Regulatory Affairs ANZ, Device Technologies Australia Pty Ltd

Leanne Etherington is the Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs at Device Technologies Australia, bringing over 19 years of experience in regulatory strategy, applications and compliance. She leads the Premarket Regulatory team, overseeing more than 1300 ARTG inclusions and supporting the delivery of innovative medical technologies across a wide range of specialties throughout Australia and New Zealand. 

Leanne plays a pivotal role in aligning regulatory processes with commercial and operational goals at Device Technologies. Her ability to balance compliance with business agility has made her a trusted advisor to leadership and a key contributor to strategic initiatives. 

She is the Chair of the MTAA Regulatory Affairs Forum and actively collaborates with industry and the TGA on evolving concerns and improvement initiatives, such as the application audit framework and the Australian Unique Device Identifier (UDI) system. 

Leanne is widely respected for her leadership, strategic insight, and ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into practical, actionable solutions. She is also a dedicated mentor and trainer, passionate about developing future regulatory professionals and fostering cross-functional collaboration.

VP Product Science & Operations, Resmed Pty Ltd

Dr. Jeff Armitstead holds a master’s degree and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of New South Wales (ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ). He also completed executive training in business strategy at the Drucker School of Management in the United States.

With over 20 years of experience in the sleep and respiratory medical device field—spanning both industry and academia—Dr. Armitstead brings deep expertise to the intersection of technology, clinical research, and patient care. He currently leads a global team that provides medical input to innovation and oversees early-phase research and clinical trials.

In addition to his industry role, Dr. Armitstead teaches at ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç and the University of Sydney, where he holds an adjunct professorship. He is also the co-founder of medXcloud, an expert group dedicated to enhancing patient outcomes through the use of real-world data in sleep and respiratory medicine.

Dr. Armitstead is internationally published and is the principal or contributing author on several patents. His work has played a key role in the design and development of medical devices used by millions of patients around the world.