The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute conducts research into adolescent, child and infant health. Being the largest institute in Australia dealing with child health research, the 1500 researchers work hard in translating the knowledge created from the research into effective early intervention, prevention and child treatment strategies. We endeavor for a community that is healthier, with fewer sick children visiting the health facilities and the best attainable care for kids that have unfortunately fallen ill.
The Institute has got a proud record of scientific discoveries from its founding in the year 1986, and is presently located with the The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.
The research studies communities’ health, to better understand those factors affecting child health as well as its management at the people level. Portion of what is done studies the multifarious interplay of environmental, social and biological factors influencing child health. Important health problems in children such like common infections, allergies and immune conditions both at local and global levels are looked into.
The devoted team conducts investigations into how cells function within healthy children as well as in those kids affected by disease. They also conduct research into how genes affect the health of kids and work towards uncovering the genetic foundation of disease to better understand the causes and to enhance the managing of diverse genetic conditions.
Working together with doctors and nurses, the researchers concentrate on the clinical care of hurt or sick children whenever they come to hospital, especially when they’ve got acute, serious, or chronic illness. They also consider the psychological and mental wellbeing of those who are undergoing clinical care.
The History
The story started in 1986 when Professor David Danks, s pediatrician set up the original Murdoch Institute, getting the backing of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and her family as well as others like the Miller family plus the late Sir Jack Brockhoff.
Professor Danks' dream for an autonomous genetic research institute developed from only a few researchers to turn into a world-class centre of research into genetics plus clinical genetics services.
During the early 2000, with Chairman Mr. Laurie Cox’s leadership of and Director Professor Bob Williamson, The Royal Children's Hospital Research Institute and the then Murdoch Institute merged to create the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, having broader focal point on child health research, as well clinical and public health research.
Currently, the clinical genetics services are run by Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, which is a fully owned unit of the Institute.
In the year 2005, under the Directorship of Professor Terry Dwyer, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute underwent a key restructure resulting in considerable growth and boosted scientific excellence.
The Murdoch Children’s celebrated in 2011 yet another exciting growth phase, when they shifted moved into their new home located within the new building of the Royal Children's Hospital. The shifting resulted in the doubling of space for research and has offered the team with first-rate facilities.
In 2013, the Institute received Professor Kathryn North, as the 4th Director of the Institute. Professor North has gone on to strengthen the Institute’s tactical direction, making sure of a focus on meaningful and tangible outcomes for kids and additionally aligning the research with campus partners, the University of Melbourne’s Department of Paediatrics and the Royal Children’s Hospital.
The Research Work
Children experiences with disease are different from those of adults and the respective treatments needed for the kids too are different. This is the reason why the research is vital, so they get the best means of preventing disease and treating kids to give them the healthiest achievable start to their life.
The researchers are working across 3 areas: in the labs investigating why disease happen, clinical research besides nurses and doctors to influence the diagnosis and management as well broad community studies for understanding how disease is impacting children in the broader community.
The Royal Children’s Hospital partnership means that they can undertake the research straight from the laboratory bench over to the sick kid’s bedsides, and then out into the lives of the people. In 2014, the Institute did enter into a new period – coming with the inauguration of some of the most thrilling research initiatives taken to date. The recently set up Children’s Genomics Centre already has made considerable progress. The approach – beginning with the patient and mounting a whole-of-system which is centreed towards improving patient care and results - is very unique.
The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) mission together with its Campus partners is the improvement of the health and wellbeing of kids and adolescents via leadership in research, education and healthcare.
The Hospital that is co-located along with Campus partners the University of Melbourne and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Taken jointly these campus partners are identified as the Melbourne Children's. The aim is to undertake ground breaking patient-orientated and translational research across the whole breadth of the varied paediatric disciplines.
This includes among others:
- Developing pioneering therapies and treatments for the patients, utilizing the state of the art medical facilities
- Undertaking high quality clinical and medical trials
- Developing fresh and enhanced diagnostics for the patients
- Understanding and averting the growth and progression of childhood sickness
The Institute’s Students
The Institute is committed to growing world-class researchers of coming years and to educating the child/adolescent researchers. They provide bench-to-bedside type of research projects that encompass clinical, lab and public health research, getting the results translated into tangible benefits for the kids.
As a leading global child health research Institute, these students get mentored by expert supervisors who are, globally recognized researchers in their respective field.
Why select the Institute?
- Introduction to the most exciting facets of hospital, university and institute research
- Continuous learning and development opportunities
- Accessibility to state-of-the-art resources and facilities at The Royal Children’s Hospital
- Priceless interaction among students through the Research Student Association
Getting Involved
It only becomes possible for the Institute to get solutions for various serious child health matters through the support of persons within and across the entire community. You could give in a lot of ways towards supporting vital life saving research as an individual private donor, a regular and continuing donor, or via your workplace or community group. Each donation, irrespective of its size, has got the potential of saving the life of a child.
