Opening of new health research precinct to benefit Australians

Prime Minister Julia Gillard will officially open the new state-of-the-art research precinct for the Ingham Institute, a newly established not-for-profit research organisation for Sydney’s South West that is dedicated to driving medical research that will benefit the local and wider Australian communities.

The Ingham Institute received initial funding of $46.9 million from the Australian Government to create a new, world-class research precinct at Liverpool Hospital that is focused on seven key areas of health that most impact the local South West community, with the results rapidly transferred and applied into day-to-day clinical and health practices.

The Ingham Institute is a collaboration between The South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD), The University of Western Sydney (UWS) and The University of NSW (UNSW) and has 200 researchers working within its state-of-the-art facilities based at Liverpool Hospital.

Ingham Institute Research Director, Professor Michael Barton OAM, commented “We are committed to addressing some of the anomalies we see in the health of the Australian population and focus our efforts on providing practical results from research that are going to benefit the local community.

“Medical research is viewed by many as a practice that may result in a new medicine or treatment approach in quite a few years time.

“We want to change the way medical research is done in Australia and enable access to advances in scientific thinking and medical practice as quickly as possible and with input from those people that need it most.”

The South West of Sydney is rapidly becoming the second most densely populated area of the State, with high rates of chronic disease including cancer and cardiovascular disease.

To address the specific needs of the area, the Ingham Institute’s focus of research is structured around the seven disease areas that impact the local South West population most including:

• Cancer
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Community & Population Health
• Early Years (i.e. Childhood Diseases)
• Infectious & Inflammatory Diseases
• Trauma and Injury
• Mental Health

Even though the Ingham Institute is new, it has reached many research milestones and has already developed world-first clinical protocols in the management of conditions such as pelvic and hip fractures; created a model for care and treatment of Aboriginal children; and led a study that challenged the long-standing score method for stroke rehabilitation.

Comprising of a new state-of-the-art research building and a Clinical Skills & Simulation Centre to provide hands-on training for researchers, clinicians, nurses and students, one of the stand-out features of the new precinct is a high-tech Research Bunker containing the cancer therapy MRI-Linac.

One of only three in the world and an Australian-first, the MRI-Linac is set to redefine cancer treatment in Australia by more accurately locating tumours during radiation treatment, offering greater potential of improving patient cancer treatment outcomes.

“The Ingham Institute was conceived through the foresight and generosity of Bob Ingham AO, who recognised the unique demographics of the South West of Sydney and wanted to address the health challenges the area faces,” said Ingham Institute Chairman, Terry Goldacre.

“As a charitable organisation we rely on donations to continue the ground breaking research we are undertaking.

“We are thankful for the donations we have received to date and feel certain that those individuals and companies that have contributed know that they have played a part in putting the Ingham Institute and South West Sydney on the global research stage.”

(Source: Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research)