Flinders biomedical engineer Professor Karen Reynolds (pictured) has been named among Australia’s 100 most influential engineers by Engineers Australia magazine.

Rather than appearing in the Academia/Research category as might be expected, Professor Reynolds has been named in the Innovation/Expertise category as one of six Australians identified as “drivers of innovation”.

“I guess it shows that I’m doing something that’s important outside of the University,” Professor Reynolds said.

While Professor Reynolds was cited for her influence as an educator – she was instrumental to the establishment of the biomedical engineering degree at Flinders and has received awards for her inspirational teaching – her role as Director of the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) was seen as highly significant.

Professor Reynolds says she is proud of the MDPP’s role in breaking down barriers that in the past have hindered the process of product development in medical devices.

“It’s all about collaboration, which is the main focus of everything I do,” she said.

“That was what drove me to put the program together – the need to get people to talk to each other, to collaborate and to partner with each other at an early stage.”