WA's biomedical centre gets green light

A new $1 million State-funded Centre of Excellence focusing on biomedical research and development has been given the go-ahead at Murdoch and Curtin Universities.

Led by a team of expert biomedical researchers from Murdoch's Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and Curtin's School of Biomedical Science, the WA Biomedical Research Institute (WABRI) will help promote and develop high quality research and development programmes in a wide range of biomedical areas.

"It will be an internationally-recognised centre for industry-focused research in molecular technology, therapeutics and parasite-mediated disease," said Murdoch Professor of Parasitology Andrew Thompson.

WABRI will provide innovative solutions to the problems of health care and the medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries.

As a major new initiative, WABRI will bring together several currently independent research groups from both Murdoch and Curtin into one structure to house the State's best biomedical researchers.

Professor Thompson said the establishment of WABRI would help attract significant additional industry research and development funding to the State.

"It will also complement the clinical focus of the recently established Western Australian Institute of Medical Research, and help prevent costly duplication of equipment, facilities and expertise by concentrating and sharing resources," he said.

WABRI will be split in two parts: the Centre for the Biomolecular Control of Disease (CBCD) at Murdoch, and the Centre for Molecular Technology and Therapeutics at Curtin.

Murdoch's CBCD centre will be led by Chief Investigators Professor Andrew Thompson and Associate Professor Jim Reynoldson.

It will also embrace several other research groups including those led by Drs Cassie Lawson and Wayne Greene, which are concerned with studies on the immunology and molecular biology of viral infections and cancer.

Professors Thompson and Reynoldson have a world-class reputation in their field of animal and human parasites, including Cryptosporidium, Echinococcus, Giardia and the causes of malaria and hookworm disease.

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