Australian of the Year

Dr Emily Zhen is developing an innovative preservation technology that aims to give transplant recipients the best chance of a successful outcome. 

After witnessing a transplant patient die following complications associated with a poorly preserved donor organ, Emily recognised there had to be better ways of transporting organs to maximise their chance of successful transplantation. She founded Materia Health to develop new methods of preserving and protecting donor organs and tissues during transportation. 

The company is developing the MateriaPOD, a portable, reusable, precision preservation platform designed to actively control temperature and protect organs, tissues, blood and cells during transport. 

The MateriaPOD has attracted support from clinicians and collaborators globally and has potential applications beyond transplantation, including emergency and military medicine for blood logistics, and veterinary science for artificial insemination. 

Emily’s unwavering focus on saving lives is driving genuine change in patient care, with the goal of improving health outcomes for people around the world.