Researcher biography

Dr James Novak is an industrial design and advanced manufacturing specialist. He has worked in numerous industry roles whilst maintaining an active research and education profile with The University of Queensland. This has included being the Senior Research Fellow of the CranioFacial program at the Herston Biofabrication Institute, the largest advanced manufacturing facility inside an Australian hospital; Design Manager at performance carbon fibre catamaran manufacturer Cure Marine; Product Manager for M-Elec, an innovative lighting and electrical product manufacturer; and Assistant Editor of the Computer-Aided Design and Applications journal. He has previously completed postdoctoral research at Deakin University's School of Engineering, and the University of Technology Sydney's School of Design.

Dr Novak has a particular interest in 3D printing and is an author of the book 3D Printing for Product Designers: Innovative Strategies Using Additive Manufacturing. His high profile research has won awards like the Dick Aubin Distinguished Paper Award at RAPID in 2015, North America’s largest annual additive manufacturing conference and expo. It was also influential during the COVID-19 pandemic, informing the World Health Organization guidelines for 3D printed medical devices. His well known 3D printed bicycle frame has been exhibited globally, including at the Red Dot Design Museum in Germany.