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WELCOME TO THE AUTUMN EDITION OF
RESEARCH MATTERS
Chiefly Speaking
"Health and
medical research offers a pathway to prevention"
As our scientific
knowledge increases at an ever expanding rate, the prospect of new frontier
technologies combined with scientific discoveries raises the prospect of a
whole new approach to illness prevention. This has significant implications
for health and medical research and its relationship to community health.
Currently our health
system tries to cure people when they are sick. Now scientists are telling
us that in the space of a generation this will change. We are likely to be
much more predictive about what happens to whom, and when. Our approach to
health is moving towards dealing with more long-term, chronic diseases
including cancer. Individual tailored treatments that strike at disease
before it strikes the patient, are now a serious possibility. In a recent
visit to Australia, NIH Director Elias Zerhouni explained this revolution
as the four Ps: predictive, personalized, pre-emptive and participatory.
All of these can be summed up by a fifth and overarching "P" -
prevention.
A patient-centric
approach will require continued strong and effective research investment,
and a "virtuous cycle" that is well oiled and spinning. It will
require a community that understands health and the role and
responsibilities each of us carries in promoting health.
Australia is in a proud
position of have a sound research base and a strong record of research
achievement. In terms of preventive health, what better example than the
development of the HPV vaccine following work done by Professor Ian Fraser?
This example, which brought together researchers with CSL, international
pharmaceutical Merck and others, demonstrates research, government and
industry working together to deliver a direct health gain, potentially
saving hundreds of lives in Australia and around the world each year.
Generating similar
major breakthroughs is going to require a change in the way we approach
research and health. It will require governments to continue to fund basic
science and not allow funding for the NHMRC to lag behind funding for other
types of research. It will require scientists across many disciplines to
work together to combine their talents in new and innovative ways, major
new public funding for shared technology infrastructure, planning for
healthy living environments, support for "new philanthropy to discover
the joys associated with supporting HMR"[is this a quote?], young
talented students to take on science as a career, and investors and
industry generally to discover the potential for business ventures linked
to health. It will also require a community that is savvy about health.
Today, health care
costs are rising at an unsustainable rate. Scientists need to be an
intrinsic part of the solution to this problem. Scientists have a vision of
a transformation in health and medicine as opportunities emerge for a
predictive, personalized and pre-emptive approach.
To ensure we embrace
this pathway of reform, the vision could [should?] become a reality, with
the "virtuous cycle", government industry, research and
community, all working together to prevent illness and promote health.
Warm congratulations to
my predecessor, Dr Christine Bennett on her appointment as Chair of the
National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission. Christine brings enormous
capacity at health services and policy levels, along with a deep
appreciation of the need for research and evidence to inform decision
making.
We also congratulate
the Rudd Government for adopting an inclusive and open-minded approach to
innovation and health policy. It provides a valuable opportunity for
Research Australia to provide strong and effective advocacy of the need for
stronger health and medical research as a means of informing decision
making on health research and innovation.
This e-bulletin
provides details of the 2020 Summit and other forthcoming events and
provides information on current grant rounds. Please also don't
forget to visit our new website www.researchaustralia.org.
We are also delighted
to be announcing our new website, which has been designed to meet the
information requirements of our members and the general community. Please
provide us with feedback, at enquiries@researchaustralia.com We would love to hear from
you!!
Rebecca
James
Chief Executive Officer
Research Australia
Research
Australia's new website
We are delighted to
announce the launch of our new website - www.researchaustralia.org. Members are
invited to contribute to the following pages:
- Health and Medical Research
Events
- Employment in Research -
free member job listings until 30 June 2008
- Media Centre
- Funding for Research
- Research Showcase
- Members Spotlight
- Join the quarterly
e-newsletter "Research Matters"
Research Australia Philanthropy
News
from Research Australia Philanthropy including grant seekers alerts and a
special Sharegift event in Sydney on 31 March.
Research
Australia Philanthropy is delighted to announce Stephen Mills, CEO, will
present the ShareGift program to Research
Australia members at 10am-12noon, Monday March 31 2008, ASX Sydney.
To register
your interest in attending the ShareGift presentation please contact Rikki
Andrews, Philanthropy Development Manager, Research Australia Philanthropy
T: 03 9662
9419 or E: rikki.andrews@researchaustraliaphilanthropy.org.
Click here for
Philanthropy News
New Research
Australia Team Member
Research
Australia welcomes David Pullar, Manager, Partnerships and Policy to the
Research Australia Team.
David has a
background in government policy and stakeholder management. He has
previously worked in policy roles both in the Australian Government and in
the pharmaceutical industry, principally related to innovation and R&D.
He holds Bachelors degrees in Commerce and Engineering (Environmental) from
the University of Melbourne. David's role with Research Australia is
focused on developing policy positions for the organisation and growing
partnerships with the health and medical research sector.
David is
located in our Sydney office and can be contacted on (02) 9227 0346 or by
email at David.Pullar@researchaustralia.org.
Welcome New Research Australia Members!
Research Australia welcomes the following members to its alliance.
Research Australia Member Events
"Thank You" Day Awards Dinner - Thursday, 27th November
2008 - Sydney
A highlight of the Health and Medical Research Calendar is the
annual Research Australia "Thank You" Day Awards which celebrates
the achievements of individuals and organisations that have helped further
research in Australia through corporate giving, philanthropy or advocacy.
This year's "Thank You" Day Awards will be held in Sydney on
Thursday, 27th November 2008. Details about the awards, sponsorship and a
call for nominations will soon be available. Mark this date in your
diary!
Other member events include:
- Friday, 11 April,
University Roundtable hosted by Griffith University, Gold
Coast.
- Monday, 23 June, Medallion
Members Board Lunch, Melbourne.
- Monday, 22 July,
"Research After Dark" Pepper Tree Wine Tasting,
Melbourne. Numbers strictly limited
"Thank You" Day 2007
The giant
and midi cards visited Canberra, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Townsville,
Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne generating over 209,000
"Thank You" messages and raising the awareness of the importance
of health and medical research. We are still receiving messages on a daily
basis and a sample of the messages received can be viewed by visiting the
"Thank You" Day website - http://www.thankyouday.org/ThankYouMessages.aspx or you can download
here,
Health and Medical Research Events
- Orygen Training Calendar
- ASMR Research Awards
- Auditory Brain Symposium -
14 April. Download invitation.
- 2020 Summit
- 6th Biennial Joanna Briggs
Colloguium, 12-15 November
- Australia Health and
Medical Research Congress - 16-21 November
For more information click here
Congratulations
Research Australia
congratulates the contributions made by members and supporters of the
Health and Medical Research who were recently honoured in the 2008 Australia Day Honours List.
Funding
The
following funding and grant opportunities are now available
- NHMRC
- Alzheimer's Australia
Research 2008 Dementia Grants Program. Download Flyer
- The Victorian Neurotrauma
Initiative (VNI) - Download Flyer
For more information click here
Latest News
Sydney Visitors and Convention Bureau
- Professor
Ian Caterson, announces new Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and
Exercise
- AIDS
Meeting Attracts Record Numbers in Sydney
- Sydney
Welcomes Plan to Expand Convention and Exhibition Space
For more information click here
Western Australian
Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR)
- Health
risks high for men with Hemochromatatosis
- Twin
findings raise hopes of improved anaemia treatments
For more information click here
Proof - Networking on the Web is Healthy - for
more information click here
Members
Benefits
Take advantage of Research Australia's media benefits including:
- AAP News
Centre
- Capitol
Monitoring
- EurekAlert!
For
more information click here
Top 5 EurekAlert!
Stories
We
hope you have enjoyed reading "Research Matters" and we wish you
a safe and Happy Easter.
The deadline for submision to the Winter edition is 19
May.
If your colleagues would to subscribe please visit our website www.researchaustralia.org or click
here.
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