{"id":2502,"date":"2014-10-09T23:47:58","date_gmt":"2014-10-09T13:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/?post_type=wimr_news&p=2502"},"modified":"2024-09-30T18:26:31","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T08:26:31","slug":"medical-research-boost-for-western-sydney-with-opening-of-new-building","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/news\/medical-research-boost-for-western-sydney-with-opening-of-new-building\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical research boost for Western Sydney with opening of new building"},"content":{"rendered":"

A state-of-the-art, $110 million, medical research centre has been officially opened in Western Sydney by the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott and Premier of New South Wales, Mike Baird.<\/p>\n

The new Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research building brings together almost\u00a0400 clinicians, scientists, postgraduate students and support staff with the aim of accelerating\u00a0research into Australia\u2019s major health problems and translating its outcomes into new\u00a0diagnostics, prognostics, preventions, therapies and cures.<\/p>\n

The nine-story complex comprises 17,500 square metres of research laboratories, plus core\u00a0high technology facilities used for disease gene discovery, cell sorting and imaging, and the\u00a0development of new cellular and genetic therapies.<\/p>\n

The building was majority funded by the Australian and NSW Governments, with additional\u00a0significant contributions from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, and other generous\u00a0donors through the Westmead Medical Research Foundation.<\/p>\n

Previously accommodated in six locations on the Westmead hospital campus, WMI\u2019s 11 centres\u00a0of research have been brought together in one building for the first time.
\nWMI executive director Professor Tony Cunningham says it has been carefully designed to\u00a0facilitate collaboration between different medical research disciplines.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe building encourages interaction and the exchange of knowledge and ideas between\u00a0researchers who were previously physically isolated from one another,\u201d said Professor\u00a0Cunningham.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is enhancing collaborations across disciplines and I believe it will lead to some significant\u00a0research advances.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The building accommodates WMI\u2019s basic and translational research programs into a large\u00a0number of public health concerns including breast cancer, blindness, depression, diabetes, heart disease, herpes, HIV, kidney disease, leukaemia, melanoma, multiple sclerosis, sleep\u00a0apnoea and emerging infectious diseases.<\/p>\n

The new WMI is designed to provide scientific services and support for researchers in the most\u00a0efficient and effective way possible.<\/p>\n

The building\u2019s core high-technology facilities serve not only WMI but also scientists from the\u00a0neighbouring institutes and hospitals on the Westmead health campus \u2013 which together with the\u00a0University of Sydney comprise the Westmead Research Hub.<\/p>\n

WMI\u2019s core high-tech research facilities include:<\/p>\n