Tiffany Walsh

Professor Walsh became a member of the veski board of directors in December 2016 as a representative of the veski alumni and concluded her term in November 2022.

Research project: Aiding developments in advanced materials with molecular simulation Research

Nature is able to manufacture strong and durable materials such as teeth, shells and bone using non-toxic ingredients like chalk and water. Tiffany will use molecular simulations to see how nature manufactures these materials at the molecular level. The aim of her research is to learn nature’s approach to manufacturing, paving the way for manufacturers to make multi-functional and high-performance materials in a similar way.

Tiffany established a team at the Institute of Frontier Materials at Deakin University’s Geelong Campus to undertake world-leading research. Using the advanced capabilities of the Victorian Life Sciences Computational Initiative’s (VLSCI) super computers, Tiffany will aim to identify nature’s methods and relate them to future bio-inspired manufacturing approaches.

Her research will also open up new areas of biotechnology to deliver solutions and advances in areas such as personalised healthcare that are both commercially viable and socially useful.