Charity Profile: Nurturing young scientists for international impact

Developing homegrown talent is a strategy that is paying off for New Zealand’s world-leading independent biomedical research institute. What can other organisations learn from this approach?

The Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, based in Wellington, has an international reputation for the calibre of its postgraduate students, and a global view when it comes to scientific breakthroughs.

“We have both a commitment to developing young scientists who can make significant new contributions to the field of immunology and human health and an open-minded attitude to letting them spread their wings,” says Malaghan Institute Head of Human Resources Heike Menne-Spohr.

“That means selecting the best and brightest coming through our universities, and – alongside educating, fostering and developing their skills and knowledge – providing them with global opportunities and connections to further their careers.

Ms Menne-Spohr says that many of its students have gone on to work at prestigious research institutes overseas including the National Institutes of Health in the United States, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne) in Switzerland and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne.

“The global nature of scientific discovery means that rather than this being a loss to the Malaghan Institute, we’re viewing this as a positive, as it builds networks and cross-border collaboration opportunities. And more often than not, these young scientists eventually return to New Zealand – bringing their new learnings and experiences to benefit the Malaghan Institute and others.”

Case in point is Dr Rachel Perret, a Kiwi scientist who completed her doctorate in immunology at the Malaghan Institute in 2007 and went on to work for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, most recently investigating cancer immunotherapies. In January she returned to the Malaghan Institute to lead its laboratory research into improving and extending CAR T-cell therapies, a revolutionary new approach to treating cancer by redirecting a patient’s own immune cells to fight the disease.

Another former Malaghan Institute student, Dr Kerry Hilligan, is currently seconded as an International Research Fellow to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Washington, DC, as part of an international collaboration. There she is investigating the early stages of allergic disease and how environment shapes the immune system.

Professor Graham Le Gros, Director of the Malaghan Institute, says collaborations allow a vital interchange of fundamental and applied research between labs around the world, where expertise is shared for the benefit of all.

“These international collaborations plug us directly into the global conversation, with people at the very top of their field. The value of having a presence at the table means we’re at the forefront of crucial medical research and developments, and this relationship works both ways.

“Even though we’re a small country on the other side of the world, we’ve more than proven our capability on the international stage in both the quality of our research and the calibre of our scientists. Our students play a pivotal role in advancing global biomedical research and are the foundation on which we build our future.”

All organisations can gain learning from this approach. As Jack Welch famously said, “If you pick the right people and give them the opportunity to spread their wings and put compensation as a carrier behind it, you almost don’t have to manage them.” If we can allow our leaders to take an abundant and longterm view, the gains are there for all organisations.

Scientists at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research believe the key to treating and curing disease lies in harnessing the power of the immune system – the body’s natural defence mechanism. With a focus on breakthrough discoveries in immunology and immunotherapy, the Institute’s cutting-edge research and clinical trials across cancer, asthma and allergy, infectious diseases, gut health and brain health are advancing our understanding of the immune system to improve human health.