Prof. Robert Cowan
Role: Chief Executive Officer
Prof Cowan is CEO and a Director of HEARing Cooperative Research Centre and HEARing CRC Limited. He has raised over $140m in research funding, including NH&MRC Project Grants, Commonwealth Public Interest Grants, AusIndustry and NSW Government Medical Device Fund grants, industry contracts, and four Cooperative Research Centre grants. He has published over 180 papers in the fields of audiology, cochlear implants and biomedical management and he holds a number of Australian and international technology patents and trademarks in these fields. In 2003, he was named Professional of the Year by Professions Australia.
Bob is a Professorial Research Fellow at The University of Melbourne and an Adjunct Professor at Macquarie University. He 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 Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
He is a Fellow/Life Member of Audiology Australia and a Fellow of the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology and the American Academy of Audiology.
He currently serves on a range of committees including: The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee; The Shepherd Centre Research Advisory Committee; Standards Australia HE-012 Technical Committee; the MARCS Institute Advisory Board; and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science International Advisory Committee.
Bob established the first HEARing CRC in 1992 together with Professor Graeme Clark. The HEARing CRC has to date been awarded some $100m in Commonwealth funding, over $3m in other competitive grants, and some $300m in contributions from its members. Outcomes from HEARing CRC research have been commercialised and used clinically, and have returned over $12m in royalties and other income.
Bob is committed to the world-wide prevention of hearing loss and improved audiological clinical practice. Bob was President of the International Society of Audiology (2012-2014), and remains an ISA Executive Board Member. Bob has previously been a President, Treasurer and Board Director of Audiology Australia, and was Chair of its Finance Audit and Risk Committee. He is currently Chair of Audiology Australia’s National Conference Committee.