University commercialisation: It’s a weird situation, says researcher-founder

Dr Sandra Grau-Bartual says having an independent mentor is important. (Image: NZME)

Fri, 26 Apr 2024

When Dr Sandra Grau-Bartual began a PhD at Auckland University of Technology in 2014, she had no intention of becoming an entrepreneur.Originally from Spain, she had completed a master's of chemical engineering in Brussels and came to New Zealand as a tourist, wanting to improve her English. She saw a PhD scholarship available at AUT and applied. On acceptance, a three-month trip became a 10-year journey from post-graduate researcher to company chief executive.For her PhD in biomedical engineering, Grau-Bartual applied knowledge of flu...

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