Institute promises to set new benchmark for community-based medical research

The Minister for the Illawarra, Mr David Campbell, today officially turned the first sod of soil for the $30 million Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute.

The University is establishing the Institute, to be operational by 2010, in a joint initiative with the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service.

The NSW Government contributed $15 million to build stage one of the Institute’s headquarters and research facilities on land directly opposite the University Recreation and Aquatic Centre. The University matched the State’s Government’s contribution.

Federal Government is now being sought to fund the $20 million required for stage two of the development.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gerard Sutton, said the Institute would have a community-based focus similar to the Graduate School of Medicine (GSM).

He said the Institute complemented the GSM perfectly and would ensure the University was able to attract top level researchers.

The first stage will accommodate about 150 staff with a staff recruitment process now under way.

Mr Campbell has predicted that the Institute will set a new benchmark for community-based medical research in Australia.

The facility will focus on five key health issues – cancer causes and treatment; age-related diseases; metabolic disorders (heart, diabetes and obesity); mental health; and anti-infective diseases.

The Minister said that the Institute would take a unique approach to research with groundbreaking clinical trials involving those in the Illawarra community who choose to become involved in the research.

“By creating a community-based laboratory the Institute will aim to reduce the time between discovering new treatments and seeing them used to treat patients.

“The facility will benefit the people of the Illawarra and produce research results that will be of greater benefit to the wider Australian community,” Mr Campbell said.

“The University already has a fine record in many health-related research fields and this Institute will allow it to expand and develop its expertise even further.

“The work that will be done at the Institute in coming years will undoubtedly set new standards for community-based medical research in Australia and have a hugely positive impact on community health,” Mr Campbell said.