Robert Cowan

Professor Bob Cowan is a Professorial Research Fellow at The University of Melbourne and Managing Director of HEARnet Clinical Studies network.  He has extensive experience in management and commercialisation of hearing technology and conduct of clinical research.  He has published in the fields of audiology, cochlear implants and hearing technology, bioengineering, health economics, and biomedical research management, is a frequent conference presenter and has held Australian and international technology patents and trademarks.  Bob holds a PhD (Melbourne), MBA (TechMgt), and Graduate Diplomas in Audiology, Technology Management and Health Economics, as well as a BSc(Hons) in Physiology (Queen’s).  He is also a Graduate of the Institute of Company Directors. Bob joined Professor Graeme Clark’s team at the University of Melbourne in 1985, and filled a number of research and clinical roles, including as CEO of the HEARing Cooperative Research Centre, a consortium of 21 member organisations that operated from 1992 through 2019, and Managing Director of its commercial arm HearWorks Pty Ltd.    Bob is committed to the world-wide prevention of hearing loss and improved audiological clinical practice.  He was President of the International Society of Audiology (2012-2014), and an ISA Board Member for 10 years.  He has been Congress President of the XXXII World Congress of Audiology held in Brisbane, 2014 as well as the XXV World Congress held in Melbourne in 2002, and co-chaired the 2019 IERASG symposium held in Sydney. He was Chair of the Organising Committee for the 2021 APSCI meeting.  He has previously been a President, Director, and Treasurer of Audiology Australia, and chaired its Conference Committee for over 10 years.  He has received awards from AusIndustry, Audiology Australia and the Deafness Forum for his work in professional audiology, and most recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Industry-Research Collaboration from Research Australia.