NSW to become world leader in paediatric research with Australia-first collaboration

December 13, 2016

Introducing Paediatrio, an innovative joint venture that will enable NSW to set the national agenda for child health.

Today, the Hon. Minister Jillian Skinner MP, Minister for Health, launched Paediatrio, an innovative joint venture between Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Children’s Cancer Institute, and Children’s Medical Research Institute that will enable NSW to set the national agenda for child health.

The Paediatrio Vision is to create Australia’s most ground-breaking, innovative and translational paediatric research hub that will change children’s health around the world.

“Having these three outstanding research bodies join forces as Paediatrio will increase our capacity to unlock the future treatments and cures for sick children around the world,” Minister Skinner said.

Paediatrio partners have worked closely to develop collaborative and translational research programs that capitalise on the world-class research strengths of its member organisations and facilitate leadership in paediatric research.  The partnership will pool the expertise of academics, scientists, clinicians and the community, ensuring research is implemented to directly improve the health of children throughout Australia and beyond.

Professor Michelle Haber AM, Children’s Cancer Institute’s Executive Director, believes Paediatrio is a wonderful example of the way medical research should be done – with the best scientists and clinicians working side by side to improve health outcomes.

“Children’s Cancer Institute focuses on translational research – to make sure our discoveries are progressed into actual treatments for kids with cancer as quickly as possible,” she said.

“This is why we’re so pleased to be part of Paediatrio and its mission – which is to ensure research is informed by clinical problems and then implemented in a way that directly improves the health of children.”

Professor Roger Reddel, Lorimer Dods Professor and Director of Children’s Medical Research Institute, believes that recent technological advances provide unprecedented opportunities for solving previously intractable problems in children’s health.

“Complex medical problems require the combined input of researchers with a wide variety of skills and expertise, and Paediatrio will make it so much easier for researchers in the member organisations to align their efforts for the benefit of children and their families.”

Dr Michael Brydon, Chief Executive, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, said “Many of our researchers are also clinicians and are dedicated to improving the lives of children with many illnesses by finding cures and developing better treatments. We welcome this collaboration which will ensure that research is rapidly translated into treatments and kids have early access to innovative and new treatments.”

Over the coming years, Paediatrio will undertake vital research into areas such as personalised cancer care, rare genetic diseases, immunity and infectious diseases, chronic diseases, gene therapy, diabetes, neurosciences, mental health, behavioural sciences and Aboriginal child health.

—ENDS—

Paediatrio Media Contact:  Rowena Tucker, Executive Officer; 0403 254 255; rtucker@cmri.org.au

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAEDIATRIO, visit www.paediatrio.org.au

ABOUT THE FOUNDING ORGANISATIONS 

Children’s Cancer Institute is the only independent medical research organisation in Australia dedicated 100% to childhood cancer research, existing solely to cure childhood cancer and improve the quality of life for survivors. The Institute was originally known as The Children’s Leukaemia and Cancer Foundation and was established in May 1976 by a dedicated group of doctors and parents of children with cancer. Children’s Cancer Institute opened its own research laboratories in 1984 and has since grown to employ more than 200 staff and students, establishing a national and international reputation for scientific excellence.

For more information, visit www.childrenscancerinstitute.org.au.

Children’s Medical Research Institute conducts fundamental research to understand the genes involved in human health and development, and the underlying causes of disease. CMRI is at the forefront of international research in the areas of embryonic development and birth defects, cancer, nerve cell signalling, and gene therapy.

Find out more at www.cmri.org.au.

Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network was established in 2010, incorporating The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, the Newborn and paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS), Bear Cottage, the Pregnancy and newborn Services Network (PSN) and the Children’s Court Clinic.

The Network is the largest paediatric health entity in Australia, with a team of 5000 staff committed to providing world-class paediatric health care in a family-focussed, healing environment.

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick provide care for over 120,000 families each year – incorporating 50,000 inpatient admissions, 90,000 emergency presentations and over one million outpatient services.

Families have access to the best facilities across the Network, with speciality care available for children with conditions such as cancer, heart problems, burns, HIV/AIDS and those needing organ, bone marrow or cord blood transplants.

Ground-breaking research into the causes, treatments and cures of many childhood illnesses is undertaken in conjunction with clinical care, changing the face of healthcare on an international scale. Staff across the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network are committed to advancing world-leading research that is directly translated into improved health outcomes for sick children.

For more information, visit www.schn.nsw.gov.au.