Our strategy and the Wright Report

Cabrini Research Annual Report 2020-21 Cabrini Research

Cabrini Research: new name, new direction, new strengths

In 2021, we celebrate an incredible 25 years of Cabrini-led advancements in clinical research. First established in 1996 as the Cabrini Clinical Education and Research Foundation, we have evolved greatly during the past 25 years. In 2021, under our new name Cabrini Research, we look to the future that will see us embarking on new and ambitious research programs aligned to our clinical services and a continued pursuit of groundbreaking discoveries in clinical research.

This year we also celebrated the official appointment of Professor Gary Richardson OAM as Cabrini Research Group Director. Gary’s acting role and now official appointment has been instrumental in leading the evolution of Cabrini Research over the past 20 months and driving its future capacity to deliver excellent research outcomes. Gary has had a long career at Cabrini, demonstrating exceptional research skills, strong leadership, important networking and collaborations, and an unwavering commitment to achieving the best outcomes for patients and our community. His leadership will play a significant role in shaping the future success of research at Cabrini.

Our strategy

2020-21 has been a year of change for Cabrini Research. Our new strategy takes us to 2025, with a vision to be the leading private research institute for cancer, cardiac and musculoskeletal research in Australia. We will focus on four key projects in the next five years to enable this strategy.

Building the Cabrini Cancer Institute A grant from the Federal Government has allowed us to successfully develop phase one of a two-phase project to create a Cancer Institute. Phase one allows us to increase cancer clinical trials, build a state-of-the-art exercise laboratory, and establish a cancer wellness and exercise facility. The next stage sees us working towards phase two of this project, a new purpose-built, multi-storey facility which will see the integration and expansion of cancer research with clinical services. The expansion will take advantage of novel partnerships and new technology and diagnostics to support future research and clinical services.

Expand clinical research to align with our clinical services Cabrini Research will expand its activities in alignment with our clinical services, by establishing departments of cardiovascular, mental health and musculoskeletal research.

Develop and expand the translational research program In a medical research context, translational research aims to “translate” findings in fundamental bench research into medical practice and meaningful health outcomes. There are currently strong translational programs at Cabrini Research in partnership with Monash University. We look to expand and grow in these areas, pursue novel ventures and capitalise on commercialisation opportunities.

Embed health informatics and research design There are significant opportunities for expansion in data-driven healthcare and informatics. Cabrini currently supports the collection and contribution of data to some 24 registries and maintains an additional 40 or more databases for research purposes. Our aim is to streamline the coordination of data collection processes and database design at Cabrini. This will enable transformation in health research and facilitate studies that were not feasible in the past, and thus lead to new insights regarding health and disease and outcome data for funding and marketing.

Research design and analysis support for clinicians and research staff employed at Cabrini is imperative for us to achieve research growth and enable expansion of research into new clinical areas. We aim to build support in development, execution and reporting of clinical research studies and clinical audits.

The Wright Review – a map of where we need to go

In July 2020, Cabrini Chief Executive Sue Williams commissioned Managing Director of the Miller Network Group, Michael Wright to undertake a systematic and independent review of the Cabrini Research and Education Institute, now known as Cabrini Research. The review, now referred to as the Wright review, has provided guidance on the overarching framework and governance systems we are now implementing that will underpin the success of Cabrini Research and our ability to deliver our strategy.

The Wright review involved a desktop analysis of past annual reports to identify historical research patterns and a comprehensive program of interviews to obtain contemporary views on the Institute, including assessments of its past performance and expectations for the future.

The Wright review identified Cabrini had a number of key strengths including a strong reputation for quality of care and research. Our substantial patient throughput, partnering and wide variety of academic appointments led to the summation of Cabrini having “unique research potential”.

The review identified there would be significant benefits from increasing the research footprint at Cabrini. Patients and clinicians would benefit from increased access to clinical trials, innovative diagnostic techniques and new technology. Research also drives access to platforms in partner entities, increased supportive capabilities for clinician-led research, increased funding and greater opportunities for commercialisation.

The Wright review also identified a number of opportunities and gaps that have guided us in setting our five-year strategy – restructuring our governance system, evaluating our funding models, and helping define the role Cabrini Research plays within the greater Cabrini organisation. Some of the key recommendations have already been enacted or are in progress, including:

• De-coupling the research responsibilities from the education responsibilities of Cabrini Institute. This would enable education to be co-located with clinical services enabling what was previously the Institute to focus on research activities. All research now sits under a “onestop shop” now known as Cabrini Research.

• A new Cabrini Research Committee has been established as a Cabrini Australia Board subcommittee chaired by

Board member Associate Professor Caroline Brand.

The committee will oversee and provide advice on strategy, risk and governance of Cabrini Research. The new governance structure will allow Cabrini Research to move forward in a more cohesive manner and provide greater alignment with areas of clinical strength. The new structure and composition of the Cabrini Research

Committee gives us direct connectivity with the Board and a stronger line of communication than we have ever had before.

• Appointment of a Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) is expected in late 2021. The SAC will oversee the work of Cabrini Research to develop, support and promote research activities at Cabrini Health. Their role will be to advise on new areas of research suitable to Cabrini and identify and facilitate opportunities for collaborative research.

• Establish a Clinical Trials Business Unit (CTBU) to coordinate and leverage Cabrini’s actual and potential clinical trial opportunities into a sustainable business unit.

• Expansion of our research footprint, with a clear alignment to key clinical services. Establishing departments of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal research are key projects.

Dr Tali Lang, Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Cabrini

Monash University Department of Medical Oncology – The Szalmuk Family Department of Medical Oncology.