(BE PhD FRSA FTSE FNAI):

Mark is an internationally recognised biomedical engineer, inventor, scientist, entrepreneur, founder and successful business-builder in global deep-tech healthcare. Over the course of Mark’s 28 year career, ​companies licensing/advancing his patents/technologies have created a combined economic value of more than $2 billion for investors; and Mark is the inventor of more than 160 patents. A pioneer of the microneedle field.  

​Mark is the Founder and CEO of WearOptimo. 

While at the University of Oxford, Mark was an inventor of the biolistics technology, commercialised with PowderJect (sold to Chiron Vaccines for US$1 billion in 2003), and then PowderMed, purchased by Pfizer for US$400 million in 2006. Mark was then Founder, CTO and a Director of Vaxxas (2011-2015), the commercialisation vehicle for his Nanopatch vaccine delivery invention, featured in his TEDGlobal talk, which has more than 1 million views. 

In recognition of his innovation and translation of commercial technologies focused on the delivery of drugs to skin, and skin-based disease diagnostics, Mark has received more than 40 awards and accolades. 

These include the CSL Young Florey Medal, being named a 2015 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, a 2012 Rolex Laureate Award for Enterprise and the Eureka Prize for Interdisciplinary Research (2011). winner of The Australian Innovation Challenge in 2011 and 2004 Younger Engineer of Britain. Mark’s work has featured in diverse media outlets, including TEDGlobal, WIRED, ABC, BBC, NBC, National Geographic, New Scientist, Popular Science and Vanity Fair. 

Mark’s international recognition extends to his election as a Fellow: of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI, USA); the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA, UK); and Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE). 

With a strong global network, and a significant international profile, Mark has served on the World Economic Forum Global Future Councils and as co-chair of the Australian Federal Government’s Stem Cell Therapies Mission.