DR BYRON WICKS

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2009 Fulbright Victoria Scholarship

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“Imagine being able to restore lost vision with a bionic eye. To dramatically improve the quality of life for many people who currently “see” the world through the eyes of a guide dog or the use of a cane.”

Byron Wicks is one of two winners of the inaugural Fulbright Victoria Scholarship. The Fulbright Victoria Scholarship was established in 2008 by the Victorian State government and Victorian based universities to support research of benefit to the state. He will use his scholarship to travel to the University of California, Berkeley to undertake postdoctoral research in electronic engineering.

Byron’s project will further the work of the NICTA Victorian Research Laboratory, which is collaborating with the Centre for Eye Research Australia, the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and the Bionic Ear Institute to develop a “bionic” eye.

“We aim to develop a device that will restore human vision lost to diseases which destroy the photoreceptor cells in the retina but leave the subsequent neurons such as retinal ganglion cells relatively intact and functional. These diseases include retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration and are responsible 48% of all blindness in Australia,” Byron said.

Secondary applications of his work include gigabit wireless communications. “Such research will enable electronic devices including personal computers, high definition televisions, mobile phone, DVD players and portable multimedia devices to transfer your favourite TV shows, latest movies and the footy between devices instantaneously without the need for wires.”

“It will also serve to showcase the high quality research undertaken in Victoria and further the development of a local electronics design capability by increasing the visibility of Victorian technology within the US venture capital and strategic investment landscape.”

Byron is an alumnus of the University of Melbourne graduating with PhD, BE(Hons) and BSc degrees. During his doctoral studies he designed the world’s first integrated CMOS transceiver capable of transmitting high definition multimedia wirelessly and has previously been awarded a Universitas 21 scholarship to study the issues involved in the commercialisation of technology at the National University of Singapore.