murdoch childrens research institute annual report 2010
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute Royal Children’s Hospital Flemington Road, Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia Phone: +61 3 8341 6200 Fax +61 3 9348 1391 www.mcri.edu.au ABN: 21 006 566 972
annual report 2010
In 24 years, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute has become the preeminent child health research institute in Australia, recognised globally for its child health discoveries. Our team of 1300 researchers strives to solve emerging and unsolved childhood problems in which we have the demonstrated expertise and knowledge to make a difference. Key priority areas include diabetes, allergies, asthma, premature birth and mental health problems. We also address other common and rare childhood conditions including cancer, heart disease, cerebral palsy, language disorders and mitochondrial diseases. Working side-by-side with doctors and nurses at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne gives us the ability to more quickly translate research discoveries into practical treatments for children. Donor support is vital in helping our research projects come to life. We distribute philanthropic funds to our researchers based on performance and research excellence. Your gift to the Murdoch Childrens is an investment in the future health of Australian children. www.mcri.edu.au Front cover images (top left clockwise): Marita, Linus & Jeremy Smith (Š Newspix/Justin McManus), A/Professor Andrew Davidson, Megan French & Evie Hannan. Back cover images (top right clockwise): Professors Amanda Fosang & John Bateman, Dr Tim Silk, Fiona Handbury Payne & Harry Payne (Š Newspix/Rob Leeson)
contents
About us
2
Research highlights
28
Year at a glance
4
Students, achievement awards & fellowships
34
Chairman’s report
6
Victorian Clinical Genetics Services
36
Director’s report
8
Corporate & scientific services
38
Organisational chart
10
Financials
42
Board of Directors
11
International collaborations
47
Board committees
12
Government & competitive grants
48
Executive Committee
13
Special events
51
Corporate partners & supporters
55
Research priority reports Allergy & autoimmune
14
Major donors
57
Brain & mind
18
Donor list
58
Obesity
22
Genetics
24
Campus partners:
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about us Who we are Murdoch Childrens Research Institute is Australia’s leading and largest child health research organisation. Our team of 1300 researchers is dedicated to finding ways to prevent and treat health conditions affecting babies, children and adolescents.
We conduct nationally and internationally recognised research to help give doctors and parents the knowledge to improve the health and wellbeing of children. Our discoveries make a tangible difference to the lives of children, both in Australia and overseas.
Our work Our research focuses on combating emerging conditions affecting child health like allergy, diabetes and obesity, as well as finding answers to problems that remain unsolved, like childhood cancer and genetic conditions. We work across four key areas of child health in which we have the demonstrated skills to make a difference.
OBESITY Australian kids are among the most obese in the world. In Victoria alone, more than 220,000 children are overweight. We look at ways to combat the obesity epidemic and prevent the long-term health risks including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
LLERGY & AUTOIMMUNE A We strive to understand how and why allergic and immune disorders are on the rise in children. Allergic disease including food allergy, asthma and eczema affect up to 40 per cent of Australian children and the incidence is increasing.
ENETICS G Each year, eight million children are born with a serious birth defect of genetic origin. For over half of these conditions, the genetic cause remains unknown. We study genetics to ensure future generations are healthy.
RAIN & MIND B We look at brain development and the brain’s ability to function after disease, injury and intensive care. We also focus on understanding and improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents.
While we have a focus on these areas, our size allows us to also address other common and rare childhood conditions including heart disease, adolescent health, mitochondrial diseases and cerebral palsy.
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Annual Report 2010
Our campus partners
Working side-by-side with the health professionals and academics at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne and the University of Melbourne’s Department of Paediatrics gives our researchers a unique ‘bench to bedside’ opportunity, enabling us to more quickly translate research discoveries into practical treatments for children.
Our history World-renown paediatrician, the late Professor David Danks established the Institute in 1986, with support from Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE, her family and others. Professor Danks’ vision for an independent genetic research institute, then known as the Murdoch Institute, started with just a handful of researchers and quickly became a world-class centre of genetics research and clinical genetics services. In early 2000, The Murdoch Institute and The Royal Children’s Hospital Research Institute merged to form the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with a broader focus on child health research. Today, our research team has grown to more than 1300. The Institute will enter another exciting phase of growth when we move to the new Royal Children’s Hospital in late 2011, with a doubling of research space. Top, from left: Harry, who suffers from a rare brain disorder; researcher Megan French Photo Andre Tan; Chiara, who was born 10 weeks premature Photo courtesy of Herald Sun
Right: Dame Elisabeth Murdoch
How we spend donor funds As a non-profit organisation, we rely on the generosity of donors to seed fund priority research projects. Every donation, no matter how small, has the potential to save lives. Many of our research projects that receive government funding were initially established with funding from private sources. Without donor support, some of our vital research would not get off the ground as governments and competitive funding bodies tend to support established research. In 2010 for every dollar donated we leveraged a further $5 from external sources. Most importantly, we distribute philanthropic funds to our research teams based on performance and research excellence. Gifts to Murdoch Childrens are an investment in the future health of children.
Our vision To be a major global contributor to the creation of knowledge that leads to improved child health
Our mission To obtain knowledge to improve the health of children in Australia and around the world
Our VALUES • Excitement of discovery • Innovation • Teamwork • Integrity
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year at a glance RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Our research continued to deliver results to improve the health and wellbeing of children. Among the highlights: • D r Angela Morgan received the prestigious National Health & Medical Research Council Achievement Award in 2010 to recognise her contribution to medical research in Australia. Angela’s work looks at the genetic and neural factors involved in childhood speech and swallowing disorders. She was also one of nine young researchers to receive a Young Tall Poppy Science Award during the year. • W e published a study showing early introduction of egg could reduce the risk of babies developing egg allergy, the most common food allergy among infants and toddlers. The research adds to growing evidence showing early introduction of allergenic foods is at the very least safe and may even be protective against food allergy, which is becoming increasingly prevalent in Australian children.
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Annual Report 2010
• W e commenced clinical trials of a new vaccine to protect newborn infants against rotavirus, a life threatening diarrhoeal disease that kills half a million children worldwide each year. As infection often occurs very early in life, we are trialling a single dose oral vaccine that can be delivered at birth to those most at risk. • O ur researchers published results from a successful clinical trial of new gene testing technology for mitochondrial diseases. The technology allows scientists to screen many genes at the same time and could give people at risk of genetic diseases a quicker and more accurate diagnosis in the future. The work was published in Nature Genetics. • W e launched an Australian first study involving 600 Aboriginal women, to learn about their experiences of pregnancy and birthing care. The research, supported by a $950,000 NHMRC award, will be used to strengthen services so that they can provide better care and support to Aboriginal families.
INCOME
PUBLICATIONS
Annual turnover grew from $81.6 million in 2009 to $85.9 million in 2010. Our ability to attract funds and continue to grow turnover is important in allowing us to undertake important new research projects and tackle emerging and unsolved child health conditions.
Our research findings are published in journals around the world to ensure new discoveries improve knowledge within the scientific and medical community. In 2010, we had 564 publications, up from 488 in 2009. This included 154 publications in the world’s highest ranked journals.
GRANTS Grants from government and external funding bodies are awarded based on the quality and significance of research. In 2010, we secured a record $26.5 million from NHMRC for new initiatives commencing in 2011.
INTERNATIONAL GRANTS We were awarded $2.2 million in grants from international funding bodies to support research into allergies, premature birth and gastric cancer.
staff Staff and students increased from 931 to 1001 in 2010. A further 307 Royal Children’s Hospital doctors and allied health professionals and University of Melbourne academics conduct research within Murdoch Childrens, giving us a total team of more than 1300.
FUNDRAISING Our team engages with the community to raise monies to seed fund our research, to get it to the point where larger grants can be attracted. In 2010, net fundraising, donation and bequest income increased to $7.0 million, up from $6.1 million in 2009.
2010
2009
Total income
$85.9 million
$81.6 million
NHMRC grants awarded
$26.5 million
$24.8 million
Peer reviewed publications
564
488
Peer reviewed publications in the world’s top medical journals
154
112
Staff & students
1001
931
Donations, fundraising & bequests (net)
$7.0 million
$6.1 million
Mentions in the media
856
612
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chairman’s report As Chairman, I have had the opportunity to meet many of our research team and to see firsthand how our research discoveries prevent and treat child health conditions. This has reinforced to me the extraordinary commitment, dedication and ability of our team to deliver real outcomes for children and their families.
HIGHLIGHTS • A nnual turnover has grown from $81.6 million in 2009 to $85.9 million in 2010 • Direct employees grew from 931 to 1001 in 2010. A further 307 health professionals and academics from our campus partners also contributed to our research, bringing our total team to more than 1300 • A record $26.5 million was awarded in competitively won grants and fellowships from the National Health & Medical Research Council, up from $24.8 million • Research publication output increased by more than 10 per cent, with 564 academic articles published. This percentage growth compares favourably to the top child health institutes globally
DONORS Much of our growth is underpinned by the support we receive from donors. Many of our research projects are initially established with donor funds, which then enables us to leverage larger grants from Government and other competitive funding sources. Net fundraising, donation and bequest income grew to $7.0 million in 2010. I thank each and every donor for their generous contribution.
ON THE MOVE IN 2011 The Institute will move to the new Royal Children’s Hospital in late 2011. This will be an exciting time for our team and one that will drive our next phase of growth and development. Our space will double in the new hospital to 20,000 sqm (gross departmental area), providing our team with world-class facilities.
GROWTH Our annual turnover has grown from $81.6 million in 2009 to $85.9 million in 2010. Grants and fundraising income give us the ability to undertake new research projects, employ the best researchers and form collaborations nationally and internationally. In turn, this gives us the best opportunity to tackle emerging and unsolved child health conditions including allergy, obesity, diabetes and cancer.
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Annual Report 2010
Chairman, Mr Leigh Clifford AO
1. The front of the new Royal Children’s Hospital 2. A Murdoch Childrens reception area in the new hospital 3. Open plan office areas
BOARD & BOARD COMMITTEES
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Since the end of 2010 our long serving Director, Patricia Cross, has resigned and we thank her for her contribution. In early 2011 Ahmed Fahour, Dr Charles Day and Jason Yeap OAM will join the Board.
OUR STAFF A review of the Institute’s research activities and structure was conducted in 2010. This will lead to a restructure in the next year to create more focus and resources in strategic areas of our activities. I thank all of our staff for their hard work and commitment throughout the year and look forward to our team’s continued research success. 2
I also acknowledge the contributions made by our campus partners, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne and the University of Melbourne, whose contributions help us to more quickly translate our discoveries into real benefits for children.
THE YEAR AHEAD
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The move to the new hospital represents a major opportunity for Murdoch Childrens to cement itself as a world leader in child health research. A $50 million capital grant was awarded from the Federal Government in 2006 to build our new home. However $35 million is still required for fit out, equipment and to increase research capacity. To achieve this, a campaign to raise the additional funds from our donors and the community will be launched in 2011. The campaign will provide the funding to fit out laboratory and office spaces and purchase cutting edge equipment and technology. It will also enable us to recruit new research teams to build capacity and accelerate research pace. Targeted recruitment will further build excellence in our research priority areas and ensure Murdoch Childrens continues to make globally significant research discoveries.
Our focus in 2011 is to: • Secure $35 million for fit out, equipment and to increase research capacity in our new home • Continue to strive to be in the top five child health institutes globally • Address the most significant threats to child health • Be at the forefront of the ‘genomics revolution’ • Provide our researchers and staff with the necessary technology and tools to ensure we retain our competitive advantage in medical research • Continue recruitment strategies to ensure we have the best staff on our team I look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead of us in 2011 and hope to have your continued interest and support.
Mr Leigh Clifford AO Chairman
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director’s report RESEARCH SUCCESS 2010 was a busy year for Murdoch Childrens, highlighted by a major scientific review conducted in May, stimulating substantial changes to our structure and strategic plan.
SCIENTIFIC REVIEW The scientific review panel, chaired by Professor Thomas Boat from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, USA, visited in 2010 to provide input on our structure, activities and performance. The review provided an opportunity to benchmark on health research globally. The panel was impressed by our strengths and achievements, but also made several recommendations to help maintain our international standing.
Our researchers continued to deliver results in 2010, as demonstrated by an increase in publications and success in obtaining competitive grant funding. When our researchers make discoveries, their work is submitted to peer-reviewed journals around the world, for communication to the scientific and medical professions. This enables key discoveries to be more quickly adopted and translated to ensure better outcomes for children. We published 564 papers in 2010. Of these, 154 were published in the world’s most prestigious medical journals, compared with 112 in 2009.
These included changes to our organisational and staff structure to create more focus and critical mass in strategic areas and enable some of our up-and-coming researchers to hold more senior positions. We will continue to work across our six research themes, but will also introduce new “affinity groups” to draw together different expertise to work on major problems. This will strengthen research into priority areas such as neurodevelopment, allergies and cancer. In December, two new Associate Directors - Professor Sheena Reilly and Professor Andrew Sinclair - were appointed to have input to the restructure and assume greater responsibility for research strategy and the affinity groups. I thank the theme directors, the executive committee and staff for being open to and participating in this process and for their continued hard work and dedication throughout the year.
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Annual Report 2010
Director Professor Terry Dwyer AO
Income awarded from the Federal Government’s National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) also increased. Applications to NHMRC undergo a rigorous selection process based on scientific quality and significance and applicant track record. In 2010, our team was awarded a record $26.5 million in grants up from $24.8 million in the previous year. This will help fund 28 research projects and 19 fellowships and scholarships. This achievement placed us second for NHMRC funding awarded to medical research institutes nationally.
In 2010, a campus research report was produced to highlight research discoveries made through collaborations between the three organisations. An inaugural campus research week was also held to celebrate and promote our achievements.
We received $2.9 million funding from the State Government’s Operational Infrastructure Support scheme in 2010 thanks to the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development. However, infrastructure support is falling behind grant acquisitions. Murdoch Childrens and the other Australian medical research institutes will continue to lobby the federal and state governments in 2011 to bring this funding in line with what is required to support research activities at globally competitive levels.
We had another record year in fundraising, with net fundraising, donation and bequest income growing to $7.0 million in 2010. Donors make a significant contribution to the success of the Institute by providing the vital start-up funding needed to get projects to a stage where they can attract large government and external grants.
During the year, we continued to focus on our four priority research areas; allergies and autoimmune conditions, brain and mind development, obesity and genetic conditions. Pleasingly, we made a number of discoveries in these and other important areas, which will help give children and their families a better future. These included: • A study showing early introduction of egg could reduce the risk of babies developing egg allergy, the most common food allergy among infants and toddlers • The publication of results from a successful clinical trial of new gene testing technology that could give people at risk of diseases a better chance of diagnosis in the future • The commencement of a clinical trial for a rotavirus vaccine for newborns to reduce child deaths from diarrhoeal illness • Continued collaboration with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, including a research exchange program between the two campuses
CAMPUS PARTNERS Integration of our research with The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (RCH) and the University of Melbourne enables accelerated development of practical treatments, screening, and preventive measures from bench-to-bedside and community.
Our research received support from The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, including income raised through the Good Friday Appeal, and we thank those who generously gave to the Appeal.
DONOR SUPPORT
Without donations, we would not be able to continue investing in our most exciting research or fully develop the opportunities to obtain new knowledge. For every dollar given by our donors, we again leveraged a further five dollars from external funding sources in 2010. I thank each and every donor for continuing to support us, through donations and by participating in our many events and fundraising campaigns throughout the year. I also thank members of the Development Board for their contributions to achieving this result.
LOOKING TO 2011 & BEYOND 2011 will be a big year for staff and researchers. Our research structure, including key staff appointments, will be finalised during the year. We will also move to our new building in late 2011, giving our team the chance to work in a new, world-class facility. I thank our Board committees, our Patron Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and Ambassador Sarah Murdoch for their ongoing support and dedication. I also thank staff for their passion and commitment to research and for helping us improve the health and wellbeing of children here and around the world.
Professor Terry Dwyer AO MD MPH Director
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organisational chart The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne Professor Christine Kilpatrick
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics Professor Paul Monagle
Board of Directors Chairman Leigh Clifford Victorian Clinical Genetics Services Chairman Professor Terry Dwyer Director Professor Terry Dwyer
Victorian Clinical Genetics Services Director A/Professor David Amor
Chief Operating Officer Mr Brent Dankesreither
Business Manager VCGS Mr Stephen Dyt
Australian Paediatric Pharmacology Research Unit Professor Noel Cranswick
Critical Care & Neurosciences Professor Vicki Anderson
Commercial Translation Dr Angeline Bartholomeusz
Bioinformatics Dr Katrina Bell
Early Development & Disease Professor Andrew Sinclair
Engineering & Building Dr Hassan Sadafi
Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics Unit Professor John Carlin
Healthy Development Professor Sheena Reilly
Finance Mr Viren Abeyasinghe
Clinical Research Development Office Dr Andrew Davidson
Grants Ms Julia Malone
Infection, Immunity & Environment Professor Andy Giraud Laboratory & Community Genetics Professor Andy Choo
Human Resources Ms Michele Gellatly
Musculoskeletal Disorders Professor John Bateman
Information Technology Mr Joe Nuchthapo Internal Audit Mr Neil Harker Redevelopment Ms Anne Cronin Scientific Services Dr Kerry Fowler CORPORATE & SCIENTIFIC SERVICES
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Annual Report 2010
ENABLERS
RESEARCH THEMES
PR & Development Ms Alyssa Jones
Research Strategy Dr MaryAnne Aitken
board of directors 1
2
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1. M r Leigh Clifford AO, Chairman Non Executive Director 2007 - 2009, Chairman from December 2009 Chairman of Qantas Airways Ltd, Director of Bechtel Group Inc (USA), Chairman of Bechtel Australia Pty Ltd and Senior Advisor to Kholberg Kravis and Roberts 2. M r Ian Miller, Deputy Chairman Non Executive Director from 2007 Senior Partner at Ernst & Young 3. M r Martin Armstrong Non Executive Director from 1997 Principal of Plante & Henty, Chairman of Carnbrea & Co Ltd, Director of The Jack Brockhoff Foundation and other public, private and non-profit organisations 4. M r Anthony Beddison AO Non Executive Director from 2004 Chairman, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne and The Beddison Group 5. M rs Janet Calvert-Jones AO Non Executive Director from 1986 Director of Herald & Weekly Times Limited, Chair of Tapestry Foundation of Victoria
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8. Mrs Patricia Cross Non Executive Director from 2005 Non Executive Director of National Australia Bank, Qantas Airways, JB Were and the Grattan Institute 9. Professor Terry Dwyer AO Executive Director from 2004 International Scientific Advisory Board for UK BioBank, Board member of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
10. Professor Christine Kilpatrick Non Executive Director from 2008 Chief Executive Officer, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne
11. Professor Paul Monagle Non Executive Director from 2008 Stevenson Professor, Department of Paediatrics, the University of Melbourne 12. Mrs Judy Paterson Non Executive Director from 1996 Director of Ace Radio Broadcasters
6. M rs Suzi Carp Non Executive Director from 2006 Director of River Capital, Director of Mirabel Foundation, Chair of Pilotlight Australia 6
7. M r James Craig Non Executive Director from 2009 Chairman of Macquarie Capital Advisers, Director of other public and non-profit organisations
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board committees Audit, Finance & Risk Committee
Monitors the systems and controls established to safeguard the Institute’s assets. Chairman, Mr Ian Miller Mr Viren Abeyasinghe Mr Martin Armstrong Mr Brent Dankesreither Professor Terry Dwyer AO Mr David Gillespie
Commercialisation & IP Committee Advises the Board on business development opportunities and on related issues including patent protection. Acting Chairman, Professor Geoff Tregear AM Mr Martin Armstrong Dr Andrew Baker (to November 2010) Ms Angeline Bartholomeusz Mr Brent Dankesreither Professor Terry Dwyer AO Ms Sue Michelmore Mr Bob Moses (to December 2010) Mr George Raitt Professor George Werther
Development Board Provides advice on fundraising, marketing and communications activities to engage donors and supporters. Chair, Mrs Suzi Carp Ms Lisa Bond Mrs Susannah Calvert-Jones Mr Steven Casper Mr Andrew Cox (from March 2010) Dr Narelle Curtis (to June 2010) Mr Tony Davies Mrs Victoria Gillespie Mrs Tanya Hamersfeld (from September 2010) Ms Alyssa Jones Mr Clark Kirby Ms Marisa Leone Mrs Kate Mohr (from September 2010)
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Annual Report 2010
Mrs Sarah Murdoch Mr Adrian Redlich Mr Angus Reynolds (to December 2010) Ms Emma Rosenberg Ms Fiona Rowland Mrs Dahlia Sable
Investment Committee Advises on the financial investments of the Institute. Chairman, Mr James Craig Mr Viren Abeyasinghe Mrs Suzi Carp Mrs Patricia Cross Mr Brent Dankesreither Mr Peter Griffin AM Mr Ben James Mr Dominic Leary Mr Paul Martin Mr Ian Miller Mr John Nickson
Remuneration Committee Chairman, Mr Leigh Clifford AO Mr Martin Armstrong Mr Ian Miller
Victorian clinical geneticS services Board Oversees the activities of the Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, an incorporated subsidiary of Murdoch Childrens. Chairman, Professor Terry Dwyer AO Mr Brent Dankesreither (from August 2010) Mr David Gillespie (from August 2010) Professor Stephen Holdsworth A/Professor Andrew Kornberg Professor Finlay Macrae Mrs Judy Paterson Invited to attend: A/Professor David Amor Mr Stephen Dyt
executive committee Responsible for the management of research strategy, operational issues, research funds and infrastructure.
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1. P rofessor Terry Dwyer AO Director
2. Mr Brent Dankesreither Chief Operating Officer
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7. Professor Sheena Reilly Healthy Development
8. Professor Andrew Sinclair Early Development & Disease
Invited to attend
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3. P rofessor Vicki Anderson Critical Care & Neurosciences
4. P rofessor John Bateman Musculoskeletal Disorders
5. P rofessor Andy Choo Laboratory & Community Genetics
6. P rofessor Andy Giraud Infection, Immunity & Environment
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9. Dr MaryAnne Aitken Research Strategy
10. Ms Michele Gellatly Head of Human Resources
11. Ms Alyssa Jones Head of PR & Development
12. Ms Julia Malone Grants Office Manager
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research priority
allergy & autoimmune Children who suffer severe asthma attacks can be given oral anti-inflammatory (corticosteroid) medication to relieve symptoms. In 2010, our researchers conducted a study to establish the effectiveness of parents initiating corticosteroid treatment for asthma attacks without waiting to see a doctor. This approach was found to reduce symptoms and health service needs among school aged children.
In 2010, donor funding allowed us to invest $350,000 in research to help prevent and treat allergies and autoimmune conditions. A growing number of Australian children are being diagnosed with allergic and autoimmune conditions including food allergies, type 1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease. It is important to understand how and why allergic and immune disorders are increasing. Our team is focused on research to help prevent and treat these conditions. Donations helped us invest $350,000 into this priority research area, giving our researchers the opportunity to start new projects and leverage larger grants from the National Health Medical & Research Council (NHMRC). We were awarded $2.7 million from NHMRC in 2010, up from $2 million in the previous year.
TREATING CHILDHOOD ASTHMA Asthma is a common condition caused by inflammation and narrowing of the small air passages, causing wheezing, coughing and problems with breathing. Acute asthma is one of the leading causes of emergency department presentations and hospital admissions worldwide.
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Annual Report 2010
Acute asthma is one of the leading causes of emergency department presentations and hospital admissions worldwide. However, the study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), warned the treatment needed to be balanced against the potential side effects of repeated short courses of the medication, which can include reduced bone strength. Our researchers also examined the hypothesis that the pain relief medication paracetamol may increase the risk of developing asthma. Previous studies have suggested the medication may cause asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis in some children. However, our study of 620 children, published in the BMJ, found no evidence that early paracetamol use increased the risk of asthma, which means parents can give children paracetamol when needed without concern of later asthma risk.
Link between the age of egg introduction and egg allergy at 12 months Age of egg introduction (months)
Allergic to egg at 12 months (%)
4-6
5.6
7-9
7.8
10-12
10.1
>12
27.6
EARLY EXPOSURE COULD PREVENT EGG ALLERGY IN BABIES Egg allergy is the most common food allergy in infants and toddlers and can result in hives, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in some circumstances, anaphylaxis.
evidence that introduction of allergenic foods between four to six months is at the very least safe, and may even be protective against food allergy.
Until recently, Australian and international guidelines recommended that infants, particularly those with a family history of allergy, delay introducing allergenic foods such as egg, peanut and nuts until up to two or three years of age.
Michelle Kimpton introduced her son Charles to egg at four months of age after hearing about the research.
However, a world-first study by Murdoch Childrens and the University of Melbourne showed the opposite might be true. Children who were introduced to cooked egg after 12 months of age were found to be up to five times more likely to develop egg allergy than those fed egg between four to six months of age. Lead researchers A/Professor Katie Allen and Jennifer Koplin said the study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, added to growing
“As a mum you always worry about introducing your child to allergenic foods, particularly when there is so much different advice out there,” Michelle said. “This research gave me the confidence to introduce Charles to egg as soon as he started on solids – he loves it and hasn’t stopped eating it since.” The research forms part of a wider study led by Katie to track food allergy prevalence and causes among Victorian infants. The study was awarded $1.6 million from NHMRC in 2010.
Michelle with baby Charles
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research priority
allergy & autoimmune suggested maintaining vitamin D levels may reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. Anne-Louise, who co-authored the study, published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, also received a NHMRC Research Fellowship to continue her research into autoimmune and allergic diseases.
We improve and develop vaccines for life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia and whooping cough.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system that affects around 18,000 people in Australia. The incidence of MS has doubled since the 1980s. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS Research by our team suggests a child’s place of birth and a mother’s exposure to sunlight – the main source of vitamin D – during pregnancy could play a significant role in later life multiple sclerosis (MS) risk. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, in collaboration with The Australian National University, found low maternal sunlight exposure during the first four months of pregnancy increased the risk of having a child with MS. Lead researcher Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby said low vitamin D levels could affect the development of the central nervous or immune systems during pregnancy. The findings indicate the need to review guidelines for vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy. Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy have also been linked to other health conditions affecting mothers and babies. A scientific literature review by our team in 2010
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Annual Report 2010
IMMUNISATION In 2010, we collaborated on a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a pneumococcal vaccine program for Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory (NT). Pneumococcal vaccines are designed to prevent acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI) including pneumonia and bronchitis, which are the leading cause of hospitalisation and preventable death among Aboriginal children in the NT. Since 2001, Aboriginal infants in Australia have received a routine pneumococcal vaccine at two, four and six months of age, with an additional booster vaccine at 18 months. The study, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, found pneumococcal vaccination appeared to increase the risk of ALRI, particularly after the booster dose. The reason for this is unclear but the authors called for a re-evaluation of the use of the booster vaccine at 18 months while further research is conducted. Murdoch Childrens also commenced a vaccine trial in 2010 to help protect newborns against life-threatening whooping cough, amid a three-year surge in cases across Australia. Babies currently receive their first whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine at six to eight weeks of age, but the clinical trial will investigate if an extra dose at birth could help protect infants earlier. The national study, funded by the National Health & Medical Council, is being run across four states in the first large-scale study of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
Meredith & Chris Angel with baby Jonah and Dr Peter Vuillermin Courtesy Geelong Advertiser
barwon BABY STUDY to uncover the early-life origins of disease A world-first study to examine the health of more than 1000 newborns in Geelong commenced in 2010. The Barwon Infant Study, conducted by Murdoch Childrens and Barwon Health, aims to learn more about the prevention of common health problems like allergy, autoimmune disease, asthma and cardiovascular disease. Researchers including Dr Peter Vuillermin are examining how environmental factors in the first year
of life influence babies’ immune, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. This includes factors such as sunlight exposure, diet, sleep, illness history and contact with microbes from items like soil and family pets. More than 300 pregnant women have been recruited to the study, and 100 babies have been born to date. The first baby, Jonah (pictured above), arrived late last year.
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research priority
brain & mind the condition present with a range of different brain imaging patterns and medical problems. The international study looked at brain MRI scans and clinical details from more than 300 children to help categorise brain patterns, and found several rare patterns which were previously unknown. It also found epilepsy was the most common medical condition resulting from polymicrogyria, affecting 78 per cent of children. The study, published in Brain and highlighted in Nature Reviews Neuroscience expands knowledge about the condition and will help guide diagnosis and treatment in the future.
REMEMBERING FLORA
Donations allowed us to invest more than $650,000 into critical brain research in 2010. Brain development can be affected by a wide range of conditions, from prematurity and genetic conditions to disease, acquired head injury and mental health disorders. Our researchers are working on ways to improve the brain function and mental health outcomes of babies, children and adolescents. In 2010, we invested $659,000 of donor funding into this area of research and were awarded more than $8 million from the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to commence new projects. Our researchers made a number of important breakthroughs, with 38 publications in the world’s most prestigious journals.
BRAIN DEVELOPMENT CONDITIONS Dr Richard Leventer and his team published a study on a neurological condition called polymicrogyria, which causes a brain development malformation, leading to medical problems including epilepsy, intellectual disability, motor dysfunction and speech disturbance. Children with
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Annual Report 2010
For Ben and Emma Suttie, raising almost $200,000 for Murdoch Childrens was simply a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. The pair, based in Hong Kong, held a walk to raise money for brain research in memory of their daughter Flora Ruby, who died at the age of two in 2006. Flora was born with Miller-Dieker Syndrome, a brain disorder in which the folds of the brain fail to develop normally leading to delayed development, epilepsy and feeding difficulties. Proceeds from the walk are supporting research into brain development diseases headed by Dr Richard Leventer, one of Flora’s treating doctors.
Ben and Emma Suttie
CLOSING THE GAP FOR PREMATURE BABIES The odds were against Noah when he was born 11 weeks premature, weighing just over a kilogram. Now aged five, the bubbly preschooler is quickly catching up to his playmates, thanks to a little help from researchers at Murdoch Childrens. Noah is one of hundreds of children involved in studies to improve the health and development of premature babies. This includes a home-based intervention program by Murdoch Childrens and the Royal Women’s Hospital, which supports children born very premature and their families in the first year of life. Early results showed the intervention, which included home visits from physiotherapists and psychologists, resulted in better social and emotional development among very prem children at the age of two. The study, led by A/Professor Peter Anderson and Professor Lex Doyle, has followed up children at the age of four to assess the program’s longerterm benefits. Our team is also studying the impact of caffeine therapy on prem babies’ brain structure. Research suggests small doses of caffeine immediately after birth improves brain function, but little is known about the mechanisms responsible for this. MRI brain scans were conducted to compare differences between premature babies who had undergone caffeine therapy to those who hadn’t. The study, published in the Annals of Neurology, found caffeine improved brain maturation. The children are being followed up at the age of five and seven years to assess the longterm impact of caffeine therapy.
Noah with mum Simone Saunders Photo © Newspix/John Woudstra
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research priority
brain & mind Ricky Ponting meets Royal Children’s Hospital cancer patient Archer
Today, more than 80 per cent of children with cancer survive. Our goal is to ensure the best psychological and quality of life outcomes for these children and their families. PONTING’S WINNING HIT FOR CHILD HEALTH In 2010, Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting and his wife Rianna announced funding to help our researchers improve the wellbeing and psychological outcomes of children with cancer, and their families. During treatment, children with cancer endure multiple challenges including pain, disconnection from peers and disruption to schooling. While most survivors adapt well following treatment, a significant number experience anxiety and adjustment issues, and some suffer from treatment-related cognitive and learning difficulties. Researchers will follow children through their cancer journey to determine risk factors for psychological and neurobehavioural problems to develop interventions to improve long-term wellbeing. The Pontings, through their Ponting Foundation, and the State Government, each committed $250,000 over three years to the program.
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BRAIN INJURY & ANXIETY Many adolescents with acquired brain injury – damage that occurs after birth through trauma, infections and disease – suffer from social anxiety, a debilitating condition which can lead to depression and social isolation. It is believed cognitive behavioural therapy, a type of psychological therapy which focuses on using structured thought and behavioural activities, may be the best way to treat anxiety in these adolescents. Our researchers developed a trial to test the impact of the therapy. It is hoped the therapy will improve adolescents’ long-term mental health and quality of life, and provide an evidence-based program for brain injury rehabilitation in Australia and overseas. The study, led by Dr Cheryl Soo, was awarded a $582,000 grant from the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in 2010.
ADHD is one of the most common mental health disorders of childhood, affecting seven per cent of Australian children.
BRAIN INJURY RISK FOR YOUNGSTERS Traumatic brain injury during childhood can cause a range of physical and mental health problems including coordination difficulties, speech problems, social anxiety and learning difficulties at school. Our researchers published a study in Neuropsychologia showing children who sustained brain injury under the age of three had more severe problems after their injuries than older children. With many important skills emerging during early childhood, it is believed brain injury during this period can halt children’s brain development, and lead to an increasing gap between these children and their peers, as well as loneliness and social withdrawal. Our researchers received $380,000 from NHMRC to evaluate an intervention program for social anxiety in children with traumatic brain injury.
HELPING CHILDREN WITH ADHD Murdoch Childrens researcher Dr Tim Silk is looking at children’s brains to help unlock the mysteries of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The condition affects seven per cent of Australian children, causing hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. While medication is used to treat ADHD, not all children respond in the same way. In 2010, Tim was awarded a Career Development Grant from NHMRC to examine the causes of ADHD and help predict children’s response to medication. “ADHD appears to be strongly genetic, with many genes each contributing a small amount of risk for the disorders,” Tim said.
The study will use brain scans to examine how genetic variation can influence ADHD brain function and response to medication. Understanding the mechanisms that underpin the brain’s response to medication will lead to improved and individualised treatments. “ADHD is a life-long disorder in approximately 30 per cent of cases, and without treatment, this can lead to increased rates of criminality, drug abuse and other mental health disorders.” In a separate study, our researchers will examine ADHD symptoms in primary school children including mental health, academic and social outcomes. The study was awarded almost $850,000 from NHMRC in 2010.
Researcher Dr Tim Silk
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research priority
obesity Part-time working mum Inge with son Olivier
“We need to find ways to provide full-time working parents with the ability to do that by promoting familyfriendly work policies,” Jan said. It was less clear why children whose mothers were not in the workplace had similar risks for unhealthy lifestyles as children with mums in full-time work. The study was published in Social Science & Medicine.
YOUNG ADULTS TIP THE SCALES
The number of obese children has doubled since the 1980s, with approximately a quarter of Australian children overweight or obese before they start school. With a growing number of Australian children tipping the scales, our team is focused on better understanding the genetic and environmental factors that lead to weight gain and associated health problems. In 2010, our research was awarded funding from the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to help curb obesity among adolescents and investigate the long-term health outcomes of obesity.
mums’ work-life balance shapes children’s health A 2010 study led by our team found children whose mothers worked part-time were less likely to be overweight than children whose mums worked full-time or were not in the workforce. Children aged four to seven with mums in part-time work watched less TV, ate less junk food and were more physically active than children with mothers working full-time or at home. Lead researcher A/Professor Jan Nicholson said the study suggested mums who worked part-time were better able to balance their work demands with family life, and more able to monitor their children’s eating habits and activities.
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Our researchers have found weight gain is significantly more likely to occur after leaving school than during earlier teenage years, with one in three Australians overweight or obese by the age of 25. The 10-year study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, tracked the weight of more than 1500 Victorian adolescents from the age of 15 to 25 years. It found weight gain accelerated in the years after leaving school, with obesity rates doubling and the proportion of those classified as overweight increasing by two thirds. Young men were particularly at risk, with the rate of overweight males more than doubling from 18 per cent during the teen years to 39 per cent by the age of 24. The research attributed post-school weight gain to negative lifestyle habits, which often start in adolescence. Lead researcher Professor George Patton said the research highlighted that more effort was needed to curb obesity during these years. “With the obesity epidemic, we have seen a big focus on younger children but we may be missing a real opportunity to take action during adolescence,” George said.
Increase in the proportion of obese and overweight young people aged 15-17 and 25 Obese at ages 15–17
3.6 per cent
Obese at age 25
6.7 per cent
Overweight at ages 15–17 20 per cent Overweight at age 25
33 per cent
ANSWERING TOUGH QUESTIONS ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY After 10 years helping children combat obesity, Dr Matt Sabin is well aware of the health risks facing overweight children. About one in four children and adolescents in Australia are either overweight or obese, with many facing complications such as type 2 diabetes. “Type 2 diabetes used to be a disease seen in adults only, but we’re now seeing it in children as young as 10,” Matt said. “The outlook for these young people is bleak. Within 15 years, one in 20 will be on permanent kidney dialysis and one in 10 will be dead.” In the majority of children, obesity is caused by environmental factors such as diet and exercise levels. However, it is now known that some children’s susceptibility to weight gain is also controlled by their genetic background. Matt is conducting research at Murdoch Childrens and the University of Melbourne to identify and gain a better understanding of how environmental and genetic factors increase the risk of early weight gain. He also heads up the specialist weight management service at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, which helps more than 250 young people with established weight problems each year. In 2010, Matt published the book Is your child overweight? to help guide parents on issues concerning their child’s weight. “It’s about helping parents identify when there’s a problem and giving them the tools they need to take action.” Matt was awarded a Training Fellowship from NHMRC to continue his research into improving the care of obese youth to minimise long-term disease burden. Fellow researcher Dr Cong Sun was also awarded a grant to investigate the long-term link between lifestyle risk factors such as obesity and adverse health outcomes including heart disease and diabetes.
Dr Matt Sabin with his new book Photo Andrew Tauber/Sunday Herald Sun
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research priority
genetics Murdoch Childrens was originally established with a focus on genetics research and has made important discoveries in the areas of chromosome disorders, mitochondrial and metabolic diseases, cancer, intersex conditions and musculoskeletal disorders. Our team studies the genetic basis of disease to understand the causes and improve the management of these conditions.
In 2010, we invested more than $1.5 million from donor funds into genetics research, with new discoveries published in prominent medical journals in Australia and overseas. In recognition of our expertise in the area, we were awarded almost $6.5 million from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
DISORDERS OF SEX DEVELOPMENT In 2010, we were involved in a groundbreaking study that found changes to a gene involved in brain development, called SOX3, could make a female embryo develop as a male. The study, led by Professor Andrew Sinclair and published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, will help improve diagnosis and clinical management of patients with disorders of sex development (DSD). These conditions occur when the testes or ovaries do not develop properly in the embryo, causing genital abnormalities in one in 4500 babies. Andrew also collaborated with an international team to examine the role of a gene known as MAP3K1 in the development of DSDs. The study found alterations to this gene disrupted the normal process of testis development, resulting in male embryos developing female characteristics, including female genitalia and an overall feminine appearance. The study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, provides new insights into normal testis development and will increase identification of DSD cases in the future.
Some children who need genetic testing require muscle biopsies and multiple gene tests that can take months or years to complete. Thanks to new technology, a simple blood test could soon deliver genetic testing results in a matter of weeks.
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GENETIC TECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGH GIVES HOPE TO PATIENTS People at risk of genetic diseases could have a better chance of diagnosis in the future after our team successfully trialled new gene testing technology in Australian and New Zealand patients. The groundbreaking study, published in Nature Genetics in 2010, used “next generation” DNA sequencing to test more than 100 genes simultaneously to identify mutations that cause a group of rare genetic diseases. Study co author Professor David Thorburn said unlike current tests, which test one gene at a time, this technology allowed scientists to screen many genes at the same time to establish a diagnosis more quickly and cost-effectively. “Some conditions can be caused by mutations in a wide range of different genes, so testing one gene at a time
can be a slow and expensive process and it is often not possible to sequence all relevant genes due to cost,” David said. “Next generation DNA sequencing methods could transform the diagnosis of genetic diseases by allowing us to test many genes at once, and this study shows that it can work effectively.” David said the technology could improve diagnosis for people suffering from genetic conditions including mitochondrial disease, which is linked to conditions including Parkinson disease and diabetes. The study was undertaken in collaboration with the Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, USA.
Professor David Thorburn with Dr Alison Compton (centre) and Ms Elena Tucker (left)
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research priority
genetics
Musculoskeletal disease is the second highest disease burden in Australia, resulting in health expenditure in excess of $4.7 billion annually. Finding the genetic causes of musculoskeletal disease Genetic and acquired disorders of the skeleton involving bone, cartilage and joints are a major health problem, affecting thousands of children in Australia each year. We aim to understand the causes of these disorders by unravelling the key genetic and biological mechanisms of birth defects that involve abnormal development of the skeleton. We have identified a number of key genes that control skeletal development in the face and limbs and are examining the role of these genes in birth defects involving skeletal malformation. In 2010, we were awarded major funding from the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to continue this work, which will aid the development of new diagnostic tests, lead to better treatments and eventually enable us to reduce the number of children and families whose lives are impacted by these debilitating conditions. During the year, we continued to make advances in arthritis research, with two prominent publications in Arthritis and Rheumatism.
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CHROMOSOME RESEARCH In 2010, we were awarded a NHMRC grant to investigate the causes of sex chromosome instability. The research will focus on a component of chromosomes known as the centromere, which is responsible for cell division and separation of replicated chromosomes. The study will recruit patients predisposed to Y chromosome instability who present with conditions including disorders of sex development, development delay and gonadal cancer, to help identify changes in the centromere. The research aims to improve diagnosis of these chromosome-related disorders in the future. Our team was also awarded another NHMRC grant to investigate epigenetic mechanisms that regulate the division of genetic material. The equal division of chromosomes during cell division is essential so that genetic material is not lost or gained. Errors in this process can cause birth defects, cancer, infertility, and premature aging.
Every human has 46 chromosomes. These are the structures that carry genes in our cells. Our team is studying the role of chromosomes in genetic diseases.
TWINS SHED LIGHT ON GENETIC MYSTERIES
Identical twins Emily (left) and Keeley Photo © Newspix/Penny Stephens
Identical twins Emily and Keeley couldn’t have looked more different at birth. While it is hard to separate the pair today, Emily was born weighing a kilogram less than her sister and suffering from a bowel condition. The reason why two people with the same DNA can develop differences in appearance, personality and health has been a longstanding puzzle for scientists. However, a new area of science called epigenetics - which studies the chemical markers around genes - is helping to shed light on the mystery. Led by Dr Richard Saffery and Dr Jeff Craig, our researchers are conducting a study involving 250 sets of twins to find out how the environmental factors babies encounter in the womb can influence their genes and longer term health, independent of their DNA sequence. It is hoped the study, published in Human Molecular Genetics, will provide information not only on how the process occurs in twins but in all individuals, giving scientists a better understanding of the role of epigenetics on health. Mum Rebecca Wardley said the research had given her an insight into the science behind the initial differences between her twins. “Being identical twins, I just presumed the girls would look the same when they were born so it was a big surprise when they came out looking different,” Rebecca said. “It’s good to now know why some of these differences may have occurred.”
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research highlights SPEECH RESEARCHER RECOGNISED Dr Angela Morgan is helping give children with speech or swallowing disorders a brighter future. Up to 70 per cent of children with severe brain injury have a speech or swallowing disorder, leading to poor communication and literacy, or impaired nutritional intake and growth. Over the past four years, Angela has developed a research program that aims to gain new insights into the genetic and neural factors influencing these disorders.
Our research shows one in five Australian preschoolers have poor language. LANGUAGE & LITERACY Poor language and literacy skills can cause significant problems for children at school and in later life. In 2010, our team published a study showing one in five Australian preschoolers had difficulty either using or understanding spoken language. “Language skills are the foundation for achievement throughout the school years and language problems can impact significantly on academic attainment and later employment opportunities,” lead researcher Professor Sheena Reilly said. “It is of concern that this many children are starting school without the critical skills that are important in learning to read and write.” The study, published in Pediatrics, showed social disadvantage and biological factors such as a family history of speech and language problems were the main reasons behind poor language outcomes at the age of four years. It highlights the need for intervention programs that help enrich the home language environment of at-risk children by encouraging parents to spend time talking and reading to their children.
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In 2010, Angela received the prestigious 2010 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Achievement Award which recognised her contribution to medical research. She was also one of nine young researchers to receive a Young Tall Poppy Science Award for her outstanding work and passion for communicating science to the wider community.
ALCOHOL IN PREGNANCY Women are told not to drink during pregnancy to protect their babies, but can the occasional glass of wine cause any harm? It is a question our researchers are seeking to answer through a new study into low and moderate alcohol consumption in pregnancy. The study will survey pregnant women about their drinking patterns to provide more accurate data on how different levels of drinking at different stages of pregnancy affect the developing foetus. Current health guidelines recommend no alcohol is the safest option for pregnant women, which can cause anxiety for women who have consumed even small amounts before realising they are pregnant. Led by A/Professor Jane Halliday, the study aims to provide evidence-based advice to women and health professionals in the future. The program was awarded a $1.3 million grant from NHMRC in 2010. It is being undertaken in collaboration with the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Latrobe University, Deakin University and the University of Sydney.
Researcher Hayley Wilson (left) conducts a consultation
IMPROVING CARE FOR ABORIGINAL FAMILIES Babies born to Aboriginal mothers in Victoria and South Australia are around twice as likely to have a low birth weight or to be born preterm as babies born to non-Aboriginal mothers. Improving the health of Aboriginal mothers and babies is a key focus for our researchers. In 2010, we were awarded $950,000 from NHMRC to commence an Australia-first study involving 600 Aboriginal women, to learn about their experiences of pregnancy and birthing care, and the support they had from services before and after their baby was born. Lead researcher A/Professor Stephanie Brown said the research findings would be used to strengthen services so that they can provide better care and support to Aboriginal families.
“Aboriginal women and children have unacceptably poor health outcomes,” Stephanie said. “We want to ensure that all Aboriginal women have positive experiences of pregnancy and birthing care and hope the information gained through this study will make a tangible difference to the lives of Aboriginal families.” The study is being undertaken in South Australia in partnership with the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia, the University of South Australia and SA Health, including the Children Youth and Women’s Health Service and Country Health SA. It received more than $90,000 in start-up funding from the Rio Tinto Aboriginal Fund in 2009.
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research highlights HUNTINGTON DISEASE Huntington disease affects one in 10,000 people. While onset usually occurs between the ages of 30 to 50, the disease emerges before the age of 18 in about five per cent of affected individuals. New research shows an active and mentally stimulating lifestyle could delay the onset of Huntington disease. In a world-first study, our team found people with a genetic predisposition to Huntington disease whose daily lives included a high level of passive activities – such as watching television, talking on the phone or working in unchallenging jobs – had disease onset on average four years earlier than those who led the least passive lifestyle.
improving long-term outcomes for HEART kids Brain injury is the most common long-term complication for babies who have heart surgery. In 2010, our team collaborated on a review of past studies to get a clearer understanding of the risks. They found infants who had cardiac surgery before six months of age were at increased risk of both cognitive and motor delay. The study, published in Pediatrics, calls for more research into the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of these babies, to help protect the brains of babies who require surgery in the first few months of life. Our team is already undertaking a study to determine the prevalence and outcomes of brain injury among newborns who have heart surgery. The study recruited 150 babies who underwent surgery during the first few weeks of life. Researchers performed electrical brainwave monitoring and MRI scans on these babies before and soon after heart surgery. Preliminary findings indicate subtle deficits in cognitive and behavioural outcomes at the age of two, after heart surgery. The children will be followed up at the age of six to look at changes in their development as they transition from preschool to formal schooling – a critical time for new cognitive and behavioural problems to emerge.
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Huntington disease is an inherited genetic disorder that causes the gradual destruction of brain cells, leading to dementia, involuntary movements and reduced lifespan. The discovery, published by our team from the Bruce Lefroy Centre in Movement Disorders, offers those at risk an opportunity to potentially delay disease onset by altering their lifestyle. People with genetic predisposition to the disease could significantly delay its onset by minimising passive activities and ensuring they incorporate physical and intellectual activity in their daily lives.
Dr Andrew Davidson
GIVING CHILDREN THE BEST TREATMENT IN HOSPITAL Thousands of babies and children are given intravenous fluids and general anaesthetics in Australian hospitals each year. Doctors and nurses want to know which, of all available options, are best. A/Professor Andrew Davidson, a paediatric anaesthetist at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (RCH) is also a researcher at Murdoch Childrens and is seeking answers through two research projects. The first is a trial of 700 children from the RCH to compare two different IV fluids. “IV fluid is the most common medical intervention for children in hospital but the composition of the fluid is based on poor research done in the 1950s,” Andrew said. “It has been recognised over the past decade that children were suffering serious complications such as brain swelling and seizures due to inadequate sodium in the fluid. The sodium has been increased but we have no idea what the ideal concentration should be.” The trial compares fluids with two different concentrations of sodium. Andrew received a Lennard Travers Professorship from the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists to support this work. Andrew is also leading an international study looking at the effects of general anaesthetics on brain cells and long-term neurological development. In animal experiments, anaesthesia exposure in infancy is thought to cause changes to the developing brain, with some studies linking it to later-life neurodevelopmental problems. We do not know if this is a problem in humans. The six-country study will recruit 660 babies already requiring surgery to repair a hernia problem, a common issue for babies. Surgical procedures will be carried out under general or local anaesthetic, both commonly used for this type of operation. The children will then undergo a neurological assessment at age five to measure any difference between those who received local and general anaesthetics. This trial will determine whether anaesthetics in babies cause long-term problems and what type of anaesthetic is best. The study received a $720,000 NHMRC grant in 2010 and a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund the study in the USA. A/Professor Andrew Davidson at work
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research highlights DEPRESSION LINK TO SMOKING Adolescent smokers with a high level of depression and anxiety symptoms are at increased risk for nicotine dependence into young adulthood. A 10 year study of almost 2000 secondary school students found teenagers with a high level of depression and anxiety who smoked daily had an almost two fold risk of nicotine dependence in young adulthood – compared with teen daily smokers with low levels of depression and anxiety symptoms.
Our adolescent health research addresses the major health problems that affect young Australians between the ages of 10-24 years. We aim to better understand common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety and improve the lives of adolescents with chronic illnesses. ADOLESCENT HEALTH A study published in Pediatrics found violent behaviour dramatically increases during puberty, prompting calls for prevention programs targeting youths during puberty to reduce violent and antisocial behaviour. Led by Dr Sheryl Hemphill, the study surveyed almost 6000 school students in Victoria, Australia, and Washington State USA, about violence. Adolescents in the late stages of puberty were almost four times more likely to admit to violence than those in early puberty. Sheryl said the findings could be explained by biological changes and social changes in adolescent peer groups during this time, and demonstrated the need to implement prevention programs to reduce violence. The findings form part of the International Youth Development Study, an ongoing collaboration between Murdoch Childrens, the University of Washington, University of Melbourne, Deakin University and The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Adolescent Health.
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Adolescents who smoked less than daily but had high depression and anxiety symptoms were over three times more likely to report nicotine dependence as young adults, compared with less than daily smoking peers with low depression and anxiety. The study, published in Addiction, calls for schools, parents and GPs to help vulnerable teenage smokers through preventative and monitoring programs.
Until the 1990s, deafness was usually not detected until around two years of age. Thanks to advances in infant screening, we are now able to detect hearing loss within days of birth.
HEARING RESEARCH Hearing loss affects one to two children per 1000 births, and can lead to poor outcomes including language problems, high rates of unemployment and mental health issues. Our research has helped make newborn screening available to every Victorian baby, so that hearing loss is now detected within days of birth and children can get the best care and intervention. In 2010, we commenced a follow up study of 88 children born with hearing loss to gain a better understanding of how it affects young people as they transition from school into young adulthood. The teenagers, now aged 17 and 18, have been part of the study since the age of seven. It is hoped the study will provide further insight into the long term academic, mental and physical health outcomes of children born with mild to profound hearing loss.
GAIT LAB RESEARCH MAKES BIG STRIDES Like most children his age, seven year old Dylan loves to kick the ball around at lunchtime. But staying on his feet can often prove to be a greater challenge than scoring a goal.
In 2010, the team completed a world first clinical trial, led by Pam Thomason, to evaluate improvements in walking among children with cerebral palsy who undergo multiple surgical procedures at one time.
Dylan has mild cerebral palsy, causing him to lose balance and fall over easily, particularly while running or playing sport. Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of childhood physical disability, affecting approximately two in every 1000 Australian children.
“The research will help identify improvements post surgery and how much improvement patients can expect,” Pam said.
Some children with the condition require multiple operations to the bones and muscles in their legs to correct their postures and improve their quality of life.
“This means that we can explain the outcomes and consequences of surgery to families in a much more meaningful way and help them to be realistic about expectations of the surgery and the time for subsequent rehabilitation.”
The Hugh Williamson Gait Analysis Laboratory at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne assesses how children like Dylan walk and move before and after surgery, using high tech equipment, cameras and computers. The work of the laboratory is influenced and supported by Murdoch Childrens research which looks at ways to more accurately identify gait problems and improve outcomes after surgery.
The team also developed new tools to summarise data from gait analysis to help doctors plan the most appropriate treatment for patients. This includes the movement analysis profile, which summarises data from each joint motion, and can be used to highlight where patients have specific problems, and also to identify the effect of interventions at different joints. The work was published in Gait & Posture in 2010.
Pam Thomason with patient Dylan
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students Murdoch Childrens is dedicated to nurturing young medical researchers to develop the next generation of world-class scientists. Students benefit from interacting with our senior scientists and clinicians and from opportunities to gain skills in leadership and communication. In 2010, Murdoch Childrens had 150 Honours and PhD students.
“I went along to the student information night to find out more about the project available in the lab,” Denise said. “Completing my Honours and PhD was stressful but made easier by the support of my supervisors. There was always help in the lab when I required assistance and plenty of career guidance.” Denise’s research focuses on two types of testicular cancer, which in rare cases can affect infants and children.
COLLABORATION KEY TO PHD SUCCESS Undertaking a PhD project at Murdoch Childrens and CSIRO gave Stephanie Bannister valuable training and exposure to different research environments. “My PhD research helps to understand how genetic pathways are controlled to bring about normal development of the reproductive organs,” she said.
Denise Miles
STUDY BRINGS BIG REWARDS FOR RESEARCHER Dr Denise Miles’ career in science has gone from strength to strength since undertaking her Honours and PhD projects at Murdoch Childrens. Denise, who studies molecular development, was one of two Melbourne students selected to attend the 60th Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany in 2010 to meet Nobel Prize winners. She was also one of six Victorian scientists awarded a prestigious Victoria Fellowship, which recognises young researchers with leadership potential. Denise, who completed her PhD in 2010, first heard about Murdoch Childrens while undertaking a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at the University of Melbourne.
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“Due to an existing collaboration between my CSIRO supervisors and Dr Craig Smith at Murdoch Childrens, I was fortunate to be able to conduct my research in a collaborative environment. I was able to learn techniques and conduct some of my experiments at Murdoch Childrens as well as at CSIRO.” In 2010, Stephanie won one of four Vienna International PostDoctoral Fellowships, a new postdoctoral scheme to help fast-track the careers of up-and-coming researchers through salary and research funding. Stephanie is undertaking her fellowship at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories in Vienna. Stephanie Bannister
achievement awards & fellowships Achievement Awards
The Teamwork Award
The Institute’s staff awards formally acknowledge and reward high achievers, to motivate staff and promote awareness of the exceptional commitment of individuals to the values and mission of Murdoch Childrens. The awards are presented annually in May at the Institute’s Annual Review.
Acknowledges the contributions of staff who work beyond their own position in the areas of events and staff engagement.
The Discovery Award Recognises excellence in research achievement for senior researchers, 10 or more years post doctoral. Dr Craig Smith, for involvement in a world-first discovery of the gene that determines sex in birds
The Rising Star Award Recognises up-and-coming researchers for their excellence in research achievement. Dr Lee Wong, for research into a new mechanism of stem cell and cancer cell growth and maintenance
The Innovation Award Recognises staff in research support or corporate services who have improved support for research and have demonstrated a level of creativity in their contribution. Andrea Frigo, for work within the human resources team Andrea Frigo with her award
Obi Ukoumunne, for involvement in activities around the Institute including professional development and coordinating social activities
Environment, Health & Safety Award Recognises both a staff member and a team that has made significant contributions to improve safety performance. Dr Maggie Evans-Galea (Leadership Award) The Disease Model Unit (Team Award)
Leadership Excellence Award Recognises excellence in leadership. A/Professor David Thorburn, for his leadership in the genetics team
Professor David Danks scholarship Awarded in honour of Professor David Danks, the founding director of The Murdoch Institute, the scholarship recognises leading PhD and MD students and provides a financial supplement to their university scholarship stripend. PhD student Alissandra McIlroy received the scholarship in 2010 for her research in the areas of child neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience. Alissandra’s work assesses children with a brain malformation known as Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, in which the bundle of nerve fibres connecting the two hemispheres fails to develop.
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victorian clinical genetics services Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS), a subsidiary of Murdoch Childrens, provides not-for-profit clinical and laboratory genetics services to the people of Victoria and Tasmania. These services are provided through five diagnostic laboratories based at Murdoch Childrens, and clinical services delivered at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Monash Medical Centre, Royal Women’s Hospital, and regional services in Victoria and Tasmania. Across VCGS, 2010 saw two factors combine to increase the demand for our services. Firstly, the birth rate has continued to increase in Victoria, which had an immediate impact on our prenatal, neonatal, and paediatric genetic and metabolic services. Secondly, genetic knowledge and genetic testing technologies have continued to advance at an unprecedented rate, resulting in increasingly complex referrals and more requests for diagnosis and counselling.
PRENATAL, NEONATAL & PAEDIATRIC SERVICES In the newborn screening laboratory, VCGS is now screening more newborns than ever before. In 2010 the Victorian Department of Health funded a new tandem mass spectrometry system, which is now installed, ensuring the ongoing reliability of the newborn screening program as well as enhancing confirmatory testing for infants with positive results. The maternal serum screening laboratory also felt the impact of the increasing birth rate, testing its 500,000th patient in 2010. This considerable achievement, and the fact that the uptake of the maternal serum screening program by the population of Victoria has now reached almost 80 per cent, is a credit to the vision of the VCGS scientists and clinicians who initiated the program 15 years ago and the ability of our team to deliver a world-class service.
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NEW TECHNOLOGY In 2010, the molecular genetics laboratory was at the forefront of new genetic testing technologies, with high throughput testing enabling more extensive testing of more genes in a greater number of patients. The introduction of a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry assay for cystic fibrosis testing is an Australian first, and has made an enormous impact not only on the laboratory testing capacity but also on the number of detectable mutations. In the cytogenetics laboratory, transition from traditional microscope based chromosome testing to microarray based chromosome testing continued. In May 2010, Medicare funding became available for the microarray testing of children with intellectual disability, autism and congenital abnormalities. Thanks to our earlier pilot studies, VCGS has since been able to provide a statewide, high quality service to patients in the public and private sectors. As a result, more than 600 families were provided with an explanation for their child’s condition, where previously there had been no diagnosis.
VCGS Director A/Professor David Amor
Top: cytogenetics researchers David Francis (left) and Mark Pertile
RESEARCH & EDUCATION VCGS continues to be a leader in research and education. In 2010 VCGS staff authored 54 scientific papers and nine competitive research grants. Our education program continues to reach thousands of undergraduate and postgraduate students each year, and the two year professional entry Master of Genetic Counselling, now in its third year, continues to attract large numbers of applicants from Australia and overseas. A new team was assembled to oversee the further development of POSSUM, a computer software program that assists doctors to diagnose children with rare genetic conditions, which has been used worldwide for more than 20 years.
KEY STAFF CHANGES 2010 was my first year as the Director of VCGS. I am fortunate to have inherited from my predecessor, Professor Agnes Bankier, a talented and committed team of staff that will serve VCGS well for many years to come. In late 2009, Professor Bankier was farewelled after 30 years of service to VCGS, including nine years as Director, and important contributions in the fields of clinical dysmorphology, community genetics, genetic education, and POSSUM. A farewell dinner for Professor Bankier, held in 2010, was attended by many past and present staff and colleagues, and provided opportunity to reflect on VCGS’s important place in the history of genetic services in Australia.
Demand for clinical genetic and metabolic services also increased in 2010, driven by advances in testing technologies, the increased birth rate, and an increased awareness of genetics amongst referring doctors. VCGS remains committed to providing high quality family-centred genetics services to Victorians of all ages and in all locations. During the year, we received new funding from the Department of Health for the provision of genetic services to adults, and renewed our contract to provide clinical genetics services to Tasmania.
2011 will bring many challenges. In the laboratory and in the clinic, our dedicated team will rise to the technical, ethical and service challenges to continue to deliver an integrated, family-centred, world-class and future-focussed service to Victorian families.
A/Professor David Amor Director, VCGS
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corporate & scientific services A key goal of the corporate and scientific services team in 2010 was to continue improving the effectiveness of our researchers by providing support through research resources, systems and processes. During the year, we made great strides in many areas to enable researchers and staff to perform day-to-day work tasks more effectively. Pleasingly, we saw an increase in grant funding from the Federal Government in 2010 and were recognised as an ‘Employer of Choice for Women’ for the seventh year.
Improving resources & services Our grants office has continued to support and improve services for researchers seeking to obtain competitive grant funding through government and other external sources. In 2010, the Federal Government’s National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) initiated a new grants management system. During this process, our grants team provided extra assistance to researchers to ensure applications met the new NHMRC requirements. This contributed to the Institute’s success in receiving a record $26.5 million in NHMRC funding, up from $24.8 million in the previous year. A new-look grants bulletin was also created during the year to highlight new and current funding opportunities, giving researchers a quick and easy way to view grant schemes relevant to their research programs. Other highlights included the development of clearer guidelines to better inform researchers of the steps and requirements for grant applications, as well as a new process to help research theme directors track applications within their research themes. The Institute’s funding success continued to grow the number of employees and complexity of our organisation. In response, a range of new human resources (HR) initiatives were implemented in 2010, with a focus on supporting our research leaders manage their teams. For the first time, a dedicated HR staff member was assigned to research themes
38
Annual Report 2010
to give better tailored solutions for recruitment, talent management and succession planning. The Institute’s first organisational development manager was appointed in recognition of the need to continue to enhance the performance and professional learning of our researchers and leaders. Talent management and professional development will be a key focus for 2011, to ensure we continue to attract and retain the best researchers and staff. Our commercial translation team continued to support researchers to convert discoveries whenever possible into therapies or diagnostics through commercial channels. Researchers worked with the team to create product development plans and business cases to attract and secure commercial funding. This included funding for a large Phase II clinical trial of the rotavirus vaccine in New Zealand and Indonesia. The Phase I clinical trial commenced in Australia during 2010 (refer to page 47). Murdoch Childrens currently has a portfolio of 18 patent families with four patents granted in 2010.
Chief Operating Officer Mr Brent Dankesreither
Maximising time for research Corporate and scientific services strives to give our researchers more time to focus on their research by reducing the many unavoidable and necessary day-to-day administrative demands required to be completed to run the research, including managing budgets, hiring staff and completing reports for funding bodies. In 2010, we improved efficiencies and processes across a range of areas including HR, finance and IT. Highlights included: • Rollout of a new online IT Service Desk which has reduced the time needed to resolve IT issues • Development of an online chemical database to allow researchers to share chemicals, thus reducing purchasing expenses and ensuring full and appropriate inventory of chemicals on site • Introduction of an online maintenance service desk which has increased the speed with which repairs are made and reduced the time that important equipment is offline waiting for maintenance • The speed and ease for ordering laboratory consumables and supplies was improved with the launch of an e-procurement system • Introduction of a new online learning system for researchers and staff, giving them access to more than 276 courses on a broad range of topics including personal skills development, governance, leadership and finance / business In 2011, we will continue to improve our service to researchers through projects including a new HR information system to reduce the time research managers spend on team administration. HR will also roll out a Leadership Development Framework in 2011 to provide our current and future research leaders with access to the leadership training they need to be successful. New IT initiatives will include an anti spam and antivirus system, increased data storage capacity and new collaboration tools such as webinars. Our new intranet will be a more dynamic and effective means to communicate with our researchers.
Redevelopment With our impending move to the new Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in late 2011, the construction of our new facility was a major focus in 2010. Work began on the fit out of our corporate services and clinical and public health areas in the new building, and there was significant progress on the research laboratories and Victorian Clinical Genetics Services areas. A major milestone was the redevelopment of Levels 8 and 9 of the Research Precinct Building to turn it into our state-of-the-art scientific bioresource facility. This redesign and fit out provided our researchers with a much larger and better equipped space in which to conduct their groundbreaking work, with staff moving into their new premises in December 2010. In preparation for our larger move to the new RCH, our engineering team undertook furniture fitting and equipment audit and testing. Move plans are also under development to ensure our research team has a seamless transition to the new space, with minimal disruption to research productivity. The move of our staff is expected to take place in late 2011 following RCH’s move of patients.
Delivering an excellent research environment We are also focused on providing our researchers and staff with the best possible working environment. In 2010, Murdoch Childrens was recognised for the seventh year in a row as an ‘Employer of Choice for Women’ by the Federal Government’s Equal Opportunity for Women Agency (EOWA). Only 95 organisations across Australia received this recognition. In addition, we were also nominated for EOWA’s business achievement award for the advancement of women in the workplace. This award recognises organisations and individuals at the forefront of creating equitable workplaces. During the year, we developed and implemented practices to continue supporting the needs of our employees. This included the implementation of an industry-leading employee assistance program
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for staff and their families, which provides a free and confidential service to assist with personal, financial or work related issues. In 2011, we will explore new ways to further promote employee satisfaction through initiatives such as flexible working options. In our never-ending journey to improve safety, our focus in 2010 on initiatives in the areas of manual handling, chemical management and injury management were very beneficial. Workplace safety will continue to be a major focus moving forward, with an emphasis on emergency management and training. With the Institute about to enter its next stage of growth with a move to our new building, 2011 is shaping up to be an exciting and challenging year. I look forward to reporting to you from our new home next year.
Mr Brent Dankesreither Chief Operating Officer
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Annual Report 2010
Our scientific services and research enabling teams provide expert assistance in the areas of microscopy, tissue culture, disease models, bioinformatics, biostatistics and new technology.
SCIENTIFIC SERVICES The scientific services team provides expertise and training in disease models, flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, genome resources, laboratory support, sequenom platform technology and tissue culture. In 2010 highlights included: • Completion of new state-of-the-art scientific bioresource facility which is now home to 12 staff members from the disease model unit • Storage and banking of blood and body fluid samples from over 1000 participants involved in research investigating juvenile arthritis, childhood obesity, type 1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease
CLINICAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT OFFICE The Clinical Research Development Office (CRDO) aims to increase the capacity for high quality clinical research on the campus. It provides seminars, written and web-based educational materials and provides expert advice on study design and clinical research projects. In 2010, the team provided support and guidance for over 50 specific projects, helping clinicians commence important projects and trials in the areas of eczema, autism and vaccine research. Strategic initiatives included developing a proposal for a national paediatric trials network, for all paediatric research organisations across Australia. The Macquarie Group Foundation has been supporting the work of CRDO through a three-year $450,000 grant awarded in 2008. The grant has enabled the recruitment of two new staff and additional training sessions and resources for clinical researchers, which has increased our capacity for high quality research.
CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY & BIOSTATISTICS UNIT The Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics Unit (CEBU) provides a range of training and methodological support covering study design, statistics and data management. With a focus on clinical and community based research and collaborative expertise, CEBU worked with more than 42 research groups and departments across the campus. Highlights in 2010 included: • Staff from CEBU co-authored 52 publications • Professor John Carlin, A/Professor Susan Donath, Dr Obioha Ukoumunne, Pollyanna Hardy, and Helena Romaniuk were co-investigators on seven successful NHMRC project grants • Establishment of a research capacity-building collaboration with the National Hospital of Paediatrics (NHP) in Hanoi, Vietnam, in conjunction with The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne. Two CEBU members visited NHP to deliver a two-day short-course on ‘getting started in clinical research’ and met senior NHP staff to discuss ongoing collaborations
• E xpansion of CEBU’s capacity for data management through development of webbased software to provide a randomisation service for clinical trials, and enhanced database systems for management of trials • Presentation by Katherine Lee on problems in biostatistical methodology at the annual conferences of the Australian Epidemiological Society and the Australian Statistical Society • Provision of statistical support for a number of important large clinical trials, including a new rotavirus vaccine to be tested in Indonesia (refer to page 47)
BIOINFORMATICS UNIT The Bioinformatics Unit provides expertise in experimental design, analysis and statistical validation of complex biological datasets. This enables researchers in genetics and molecular biology researchers to keep abreast of emerging technology and to remain competitive. In 2010, the unit collaborated on 25 projects including musculoskeletal disorders and childhood leukemia and cancer studies. A new bioinformatics officer was also appointed. The unit is involved the University of Melbourne’s Department of Pediatrics Bioinformatics Honors and Masters courses.
AUSTRALIAN PAEDIATRIC PHARMACOLOGY RESEARCH UNIT The Australian Paediatric Pharmacology Research Unit (APPRU) conducts clinical trials to investigate the safety and effectiveness of prescription and over-the-counter medications. In 2010, the unit provided support to 28 clinical trials. The team published several important studies during the year including research into the prevention of recurrent urinary infection in children, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and a study on complementary and alternative medicines in children, which appeared in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. APPRU helped produce the first edition of a children’s prescribing guide to assist in the treatment of sick children worldwide.
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financials at a glance of consolidated entity
REVENUE 2010 ($M)
2009 ($M)
Government & other peer reviewed grants
40.82
38.78
Clinical services
19.75
19.01
Donations, fundraising & bequests
8.07
6.93
Finance income
1.75
3.26
Contract research & clinical trials
6.90
7.80
Other research income
8.61
5.85
2010 ($M)
2009 ($M)
Research expenditure
51.71
48.61
Clinical services
18.92
18.18
Fundraising
1.04
0.86
Administration
6.04
5.98
Technical & scientific services
6.02
6.68
EXPENDITURE
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Annual Report 2010
WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
Government & other peer reviewed grants
Technical & scientific services Clinical services (VCGS)
48%
Other research income
6% 7%
1% Fundraising
23% 7%
Administration
10% 8% 23%
Clinical services (VCGS)
9%
2%
Contract research & clinical trials
Finance income
62%
Donations, fundraising & bequests
48 per cent of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute’s income came from research grants. Income from the clinical services provided by the Institute’s wholly owned subsidiary Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS) contributed 23 per cent of income. Nine per cent of revenue was raised through donations, fundraising & bequests, vital for seed funding important new research initiatives. We thank and acknowledge the financial assistance provided by The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne and the Victorian Government’s Operational Infrastructure Support Program. The Institute’s investment fund performance was affected by the high market volatility, resulting in a lower than expected return to continue the support for ongoing research initiatives of the Institute.
Analysis Total income increased by $4.27 million from 2009 to 2010 which was helped by greater success in grants received from the National Health & Medical Research Council. Donations, fundraising and bequest income reached a record $7.0 million net with growth in corporate partnerships and corporate philanthropy funding from external non profit groups and major gifts. Other research income also increased by $2.76 million in 2010.
Research expenditure
The majority (62 per cent) of funds were spent directly on research activities including researcher salaries and research equipment. At seven per cent of total costs, administration expenses – including human resources and finance – continued to be well controlled despite significant growth of the Institute. An investment of seven per cent of costs was made to provide direct research support through technical and scientific services. The cost of raising funds remained at one per cent of total costs. 23 per cent of costs were incurred in running the clinical services provided by VCGS.
Analysis In line with the growth of Murdoch Childrens, overall expenditure on research and clinical activities increased by 5.75 per cent from 2009 to 2010. This increase was covered by increased revenue and improved efficiencies.
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Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and its controlled entities Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year ended 31 December 2010 Consolidated
The Company
2010
2009
2010
2009
$
$
$
$
Revenue from research & clinical activities
76,077,490
71,435,286
56,331,495
52,423,105
Depreciation & amortisation
(3,440,990)
(3,996,910)
(3,110,944)
(3,717,663)
(79,225,410)
(75,445,595)
(60,635,681)
(57,548,109)
(6,588,910)
(8,007,219)
(7,415,132)
(8,842,667)
& Fundraising income
8,074,246
6,932,890
8,074,246
6,932,890
Fundraising expense
(1,044,310)
(857,813)
(1,044,310)
(857,813)
Fundraising Activities
7,029,936
6,075,077
7,029,936
6,075,077
Finance income
1,749,489
3,255,941
1,452,026
3,225,226
(17,744)
(49,009)
(17,744)
(49,009)
1,731,745
3,206,932
1,434,282
3,176,217
2,172,771
1,274,790
1,049,086
408,627
(260,276)
3,392,979
(260,276)
3,392,979
1,912,495
4,667,769
788,810
3,801,606
Other expenses for research & clinical activities Surplus/(Deficit) from research & clinical activities Donation, Estates & Bequest
Net surplus obtained from
Finance expenses Net Finance income/(expense) Operating surplus for the period Other comprehensive income: Net change in available for sale financial investments Total comprehensive surplus for period
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Annual Report 2010
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and its controlled entities Balance Sheets as at 31 December 2010 Consolidated
The Company
2010
2009
2010
2009
$
$
$
$
CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents
12,120,231
9,670,129
6,167,100
4,112,152
Trade and other receivables
5,253,346
6,911,399
3,262,799
5,090,837
Other investments
69,316,333
6,617,273
68,873,681
6,180,028
total current assets
86,689,910
23,198,801
78,303,580
15,383,017
-
72,500
-
72,500
Other investments
31,938,093
91,281,002
31,938,093
91,281,002
Property, plant & equipment
15,442,611
16,225,593
14,542,519
15,948,652
total non-current assets
47,380,704
107,579,095
46,480,612
107,302,154
134,070,614
130,777,896
124,784,192
122,685,171
20,215,896
20,614,974
19,008,985
19,466,506
Secured bank loan
-
478,576
-
478,576
Employee benefits
7,600,903
7,171,122
4,708,467
4,296,018
Payables-Deferred Income
62,945,892
-
62,945,892
-
total current liabilities
90,762,691
28,264,672
86,663,344
24,241,100
-
59,179,349
-
59,178,115
Employee benefits
1,007,767
972,567
793,679
753,960
total non-current liabilities
1,007,767
60,151,916
793,679
59,932,075
TOTAL LIABILITIES
91,770,458
88,416,588
87,457,033
84,173,175
NET ASSETS
42,300,156
42,361,308
37,327,159
38,511,996
Accumulated funds
9,545,258
7,372,487
4,572,261
3,523,175
Fair value reserve
2,496,071
2,756,347
2,496,071
2,756,347
400,000
400,000
400,000
400,000
-
1,973,647
-
1,973,647
Permanent investment funds
26,258,827
26,258,827
26,258,827
26,258,827
Building development fund
2,600,000
2,600,000
2,600,000
2,600,000
Fellowships & scholarships fund
1,000,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
42,300,156
42,361,308
37,327,159
38,511,996
NON-CURRENT ASSETS Receivables
TOTAL ASSETS CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade and other payables
NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Payables-Deferred Income
MEMBERS’ FUNDS
Capital reserve Special purpose funds
TOTAL MEMBERS’ FUNDS
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Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and its controlled entities Statements of Cash Flows for the year ended 31 December 2010 Consolidated
The Company
2010
2009
2010
2009
$
$
$
$
Cash flows from operating activities Patient fees received
11,763,525
11,253,355
-
-
Government and other grants received
41,022,474
46,317,456
40,822,474
38,777,998
8,609,297
5,325,551
8,606,876
5,108,508
-
390,071
-
359,356
14,345,399
14,783,469
6,902,145
14,783,469
(66,875,348)
(70,277,054)
(48,642,776)
(52,665,278)
(17,744)
(49,009)
(17,744)
(49,009)
8,847,603
7,743,839
7,670,975
6,315,044
-
836,434
Donations received Interest received Other receipts Cash paid to suppliers and employees Interest paid net cash provided FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES cash flows from investing activities Investment income received
297,463
836,434
Proceeds on sale of PP&E
-
200,900
-
-
Advances to related parties
-
-
120,333
(3,530,078)
1,526,540
6,050,000
1,526,540
6,050,000
equipment
(1,663,415)
(714,877)
(1,704,811)
(702,627)
Acquisition of investments
(5,079,516)
(10,826,980)
(5,079,516)
(10,821,025)
(5,918,928)
(4,454,523)
(5,137,454)
(8,167,298)
(478,576)
(447,311)
(478,576)
(447,311)
(478,576)
(447,311)
(478,576)
(447,311)
2,054,945
2,841,999
2,054,945
(2,299,563)
9,670,129
6,828,130
4,112,154
6,411,717
12,120,231
9,670,129
6,167,100
4,112,154
Proceeds on sale of investments Acquisition of property, plant and
NET CASH USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Repayment of borrowings NET CASH USED IN FINANCING ACTIVITIES NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS cash AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT 1 JANUARY cash AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT 31 DECEMBER
46
Annual Report 2010
global collaborations Murdoch Childrens collaborates with key scientists and organisations nationally and internationally to ensure child health problems are solved more quickly. By extending our reach beyond our borders, we are able share skills, knowledge and equipment to make an even greater impact on the health of children not just in Australia, but around the world. ROTAVIRUS VACCINE
CANCER Our researchers are leading the world’s biggest cancer study, tracking one million pregnant mothers and their babies to find a preventable cause of cancer. The project, which involves research teams from 15 countries, had several important milestones in 2010. Joining the collaboration were two large studies in Israel and the USA contributing data on 150,000 mothers and babies, while planning for a study of up to 200,000 German mothers and babies was confirmed by the German Government. Two new research subcommittees were also established to examine the role of genetics and environmental factors in the development of childhood cancer. The groups will look at whether epigenetic changes in tumour cells can be traced back to birth, and the impact of birth weight and parental occupational exposure to pesticides (before and during pregnancy) on childhood cancer risk.
We began clinical trials of a new vaccine to protect infants against rotavirus in 2010. Rotavirus is a diarrhoeal disease that kills half a million children worldwide each year. Unlike current vaccines which are given to babies from six weeks of age, this is the first vaccine in the world developed specifically for newborns, to help protect babies earlier. The clinical trial was undertaken in Melbourne, with two larger international trials to start in Indonesia and New Zealand in 2011. The vaccine has been developed in collaboration with Indonesian vaccine manufacturer BioFarma, PATH, Gadja Mada University and the University of Otago.
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS We continued to expand our collaborations with international partners including Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, USA. We commenced a research exchange program between the two campuses to give scientists from both organisations the opportunity to share knowledge and learn new skills. In 2011, the exchange will involve researchers in areas including childhood obesity and brain imaging.
Rotavirus researchers Professor Julie Bines & Dr Carl Kirkwood
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government & competitive
grants
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
STATE
Murdoch Childrens was awarded a record $26.5 million from the National Health & Medical Research Council in 2010 for new research projects commencing in 2011. This will help fund 28 research projects and 19 fellowships and scholarships into research including childhood allergies, genetic conditions and adolescent health. Applications undergo a rigorous selection process based on scientific quality and significance and applicant track record.
Department of Human Services Department of Innovation, Industry & Regional Development Victorian State Government, Cancer Action Plan
Murdoch Childrens was awarded $2.2 million in grants from international funding bodies in 2010, to support research into pneumonia, allergies and premature birth.
FEDERAL Department of Health & Aged Care Department of Families & Community Services Department of Education & Early Childhood Development National Health & Medical Research Council
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INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVE FUNDING
Annual Report 2010
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA Department of Defense, USA Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance, USA Muscular Dystrophy Association, USA National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, USA National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, USA World Health Organization
COMPETITIVE GRANTS Our research was generously supported by many charitable foundations, which provide peer-reviewed funding for excellent research. Alzheimer’s Australia Research ANZ Medical Trusts Arthritis Foundation of Australia Australian Diabetes Society Australian Egg Corporation Australian Rotary Health Bone Growth Foundation College of Nursing Australia Cerebral Palsy Foundation Diabetes Australia Research Trust Financial Markets Foundation for Children Friedrich Ataxia Research Association Australasia GlaxoSmithKline Heart Foundation Heart Kids NSW
Hugh Williamson Foundation Ian Potter Foundation Leukaemia Research Foundation Menzies Foundation Multiple Sclerosis Australia Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia Perpetual Trustees R E Ross Trust Rebecca Cooper Medical Research Foundation Limited Shepherd Foundation St Vincents Clinic Foundation State Trustees Australia Foundation Sylvia & Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation TAC Health Research Group Telstra Foundation Victorian Cancer Agency Victorian Health Promotion Foundation Victorian Medical Insurance Agency Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative
STOPPING CANCER IN ITS TRACKS Dr Lee Wong is looking at a microscopic structure in chromosomes to help fight cancer. The telomere is found on the end of chromosomes and controls the number of times a cell can divide before it stops multiplying altogether. In cancer cells, the function of the telomere is disrupted so that cells can continue to divide unabated. Lee will study telomere function in cancer cells to better understand this process, thanks to $89,000 funding from Perpetual Trustees in 2010. “Cancer is a difficult disease to fight because cancer cells are immortal,” Lee said. “By understanding telomere function in cancer cells, we can develop drugs to stop telomere defects and prevent these cells from dividing.” About 600 children are diagnosed with cancer in Australia each year. Dr Lee Wong
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RESEARCHERS TOP AWARD LIST In a major boost to child health, 21 Murdoch Childrens researchers were awarded almost $6 million in special research fellowships from the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in 2010. The fellowships, which are primarily for salary support, will enable new research into child health conditions including cancer, allergies and autoimmune diseases and musculoskeletal disease. The recipient’s included Professor Andy Giraud and Dr Louise Judd, who are conducting groundbreaking research into stomach cancer, the second most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Stomach cancer is caused by infection in childhood, but is often detected too late by the time it presents in adulthood. Andy and Louise are looking at how a specific protein that influences immune response could drive the early stages of stomach cancer. This will enable researchers to identify which children are at risk in later life, enabling doctors to prevent and treat the cancer more effectively.
Professor Andy Giraud and Dr Louise Judd
Andy was awarded a Research Fellowship and Louise a Career Development Award to support their research.
FELLOWSHIP SUPPORTS GENETIC RESEARCH Dr Craig Smith was awarded a prestigious Australian Research Council Future Fellowship for his work identifying genes involved in disorders of sex development (DSDs). Craig is using chicken embryos to test genes suspected of playing a role in DSDs, which affect testes and ovaries development in embryos, causing genital abnormalities in on in 4500 babies. The fellowship recognises outstanding midcareer scientists who are conducting research of national importance, and will support Craig’s work over the next four years.
Dr Craig Smith
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Annual Report 2010
special events Special events raise significant funding for research at Murdoch Childrens. Our events bring together staff, donors and children and families involved in research projects, and give us the chance to showcase our work to new supporters. DISCOVERY DAY More than 3000 people attended Discovery Day at Dame Elisabeth Murdoch’s Cruden Farm in March, raising $120,000. The sixth annual event featured a special performance by popular children’s entertainer Justine Clarke, as well stage shows by Active Kidz, The Kazoos and DJ Southwick.
Committee Fleur Arnold, Jackie Bursztyn, Victoria Gillespie, Kate Kavanagh, Jill Murray, Susie O’Neill (co-chair), Monique Rajch, Dahlia Sable, Michelle Wenzel (co-chair)
Sponsors Decjuba Herald Sun Kay & Burton Leader Community Newspapers Mirvac Playgro Nuby RBS Sonray Capital Markets Anaconda Spotlight Blenheim Design Partners Darling Park Winery Eastern Press Ed Dixon Food Design Royce Hotel Splitrock
Donors CSG Limited Calvert-Jones Foundation Brandon & Davina Chizik David Gibbs & Susie O’Neill Victor Smorgon Charitable Fund TS 14 Plus Australia
Pro bono supporters Active Kids Akarba Hire Alpha Zeta Australian Youth Band Bodycare Physiotherapy Briner Anthony & Jackie Bursztyn Darling Park Wines John Deeks DJ Southwick Donna Hay Doris Reymond Ed Dixon Food Design EGO Pharmaceuticals Elmo & Abbey Cadaby Eversweet Fairy Tineke Sibbel & Rose White Fizz Kids FOXTEL The Fruit Box Geelong Grammar School Go For Your Life Andrew Goble Goodman Fielder Gwenda Hance Healthy Aussie Kids Heinz Jump n Play Justine Clarke & Band The Kazoos Kevin’s Poultry Kez’s Kitchen Kikki the Clown Largo Butchers Mango Licks Mobile Playgrounds Peninsula Portaloo Hire Ready Steady Go! SES Frankston Snooze SOCCERWISE® Springfree Trampolines St John’s Ambulance Sunnyridge Strawberry Farm Supagas Whole Kids Joe Wilkinson and all our happy helpers
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FOXTEL LAP
CEOs and staff from more than 150 companies hit the treadmill across Australia for the 2010 FOXTEL Lap. Participants in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide clocked up more than 14,000km. The event raised over half a million dollars for research into conditions including childhood diabetes, obesity, premature birth and cancer. We thank FOXTEL for making this national event a success.
Presenting partner FOXTEL
2
Most funds raised City
Team
Individual
Adelaide
Viterra $5,094
Paul Pauligk, Deloitte $600
Brisbane
Treasury Casino & Hotel $5,744
John Lobban, Blake Dawson $1,500
Melbourne Macquarie Group $25,853
Nicholas Tyshing, Sportsbed $10,653
Perth
Kailis Bros $10,426
Rob Legge, Kailis Bros $2,700
Sydney
Macquarie Group $45,322
Sarah Murdoch, Murdoch Childrens $7,307
Most laps run
Sponsors Commonwealth Bank Corporate Health Management Deloitte Fitness First Nova SCT Logistics
Major pro bono supporters Animal Planet BBC News / BBC Knowledge Cartoon Network Channel [V] Coles Adelaide Coles Perth Discovery Channel Disney Channel Eurosports The Fitness Generation FOX8 FOXSPORTS Hayman Island LifeStyle Food Channel Lion Nathan Movie Network MTV National Geographic Showcase Splitrock Tiro Virgin Blue The Weather Channel XBOX 1. The Dulux Group team 2. Matt Shirvington among runners in Melbourne
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City
Individual
CEO challenge
Adelaide Viterra
Team
Zoe Dawson, Viterra Shaun Yates, Fitness First
Nick Chigwidden, Nova
Brisbane Deloitte
Sarah Cox, Deloitte Oliver Schweizer, NAB
Nigel Ulrich, Vaalia
Melbourne KPMG
Beate Born, UBS Geleta Wondwosen, Kailis Bros Michael Scanlan, KordaMentha
Scott Penning, Vaalia
Perth Deloitte
Lisa Maughan, DuluxGroup Stephen Courtney, Deloitte
Mikey Kailis, Kailis Bros
Sydney
Laura James, Macquarie Group Thomas Crasti, KPMG
Angus Boyd, News Limited
KPMG (team 1)
Participating organisations ACE Radio Broadcasters, ACP Magazines, Adelaide Festival Centre, ANZ, Australian College of Sports Therapy, Avant Mutual Group, The Boston Consulting Group, BDO Kendalls, Belgravia Group, Bendigo Bank , Blake Dawson, Blue Star Group, Body Care & We Are Digital, Bootcamps Australia Brookfield Multiplex, BSA Limited, CHAMP Private Equity, Clemenger BBDO, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Corporate Health Management, Count Financial , Defence Force Recruiting, Deloitte, Downer EDI Engineering, Dulux Group, Emirates Western Force, Eutility , Fitness First, FOX SPORTS, FOXTEL, Grant Thornton, Hickory Developments, Icon Construction, iiNet, Investec,
Kailis Bros, Kay & Burton, KordaMentha, KPMG, Lavan Legal, Learning Seat, Leveraged Equities , Lexmark International, M&C Saatchi Macquarie Group, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, MCN, NAB, NAB Private Wealth, News Limited, NOVA, NRL, OMD, oOh!Media, Peabody Energy Australia, Piper Alderman, PPB, Pure Fitness Group, RBS Group, River Capital, Russell Investment Group, Salmat, SCT Logistics, Sportsbet, St George Bank, Spotlight, Techstaff, Turner International Australia, Travelex, Treasury Casino & Hotel, UBS, Vaalia, Virgin Blue, Viterra, Viva Fitness, Westfield, Westpac, Wilson Group, XBOX
The Stella Artois Portsea Polo 5000 people flocked to the Mornington Peninsula for a day of fashion, fine food and polo at the Stella Artois Portsea Polo in January. The event raised $120,000 through the sale of the official Portsea Polo caps and contributions made by guests at Kay & Burton’s marquee, patrons at The Laurant Perrier Portsea Polo Marquee and Stella Artois.
Sponsors & donors* Kay & Burton Laurent Perrier Portsea Polo Committee Stella Artois
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1. Gerald Delany & Adam Hills 2. Fiona Rowland & James Smith 3. Cathy & Peter Kudelka and Caroline & Darren Febey 4. John McCarthy, Bianca Friend, Annabel Holt & Rupert Imhoff
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DINNER AT RAHEEN Jeanne Pratt AC hosted a fundraising dinner at her Kew home Raheen in September. With special guest speaker Li Cunxin, author of Mao’s Last Dancer, the event raised more than $90,000 including for genetic research at our Bruce Lefroy Centre. Guests heard from Cunxin as well as Friedreich ataxia patient Tamara Curran and parent Jeremy Smith, whose son Linus underwent treatment for cancer.
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Sponsors & pro bono supporters* Li Cunxin Jeanne Pratt AC The Pratt Foundation SP Aus Net *Donations from guests listed pages 58-64
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5. Terry Dwyer & Li Cunxin 6. Jeanne Pratt AC & Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE 7. Jeremy Smith & Tamara Curran 8. Jim & Claudia Craig
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WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Almost 200 people turned out to the Where the Wild Things Are Christmas Fair fundraiser in November. The event was organised by the family of Sunbury youngster Harry Payne, who suffers from a rare brain disorder that affects his growth and development. Families enjoyed entertainment and children’s activities in the beautiful gardens of Drusilla, Mt Macedon, raising $25,000 for a new research program to investigate disorders of early brain development. Special thanks to Fiona Handbury-Payne for organising the event.
Donors Anvil Angus Blackrock Bluepower Racing Developments Brandon and Danielle Ziervogel Dixon Appointments Fiona Handbury Frank & Rose Dunphy Gary and Pauline Harley Gisborne & Kilmore Foodworks Jayco Motor Homes Kylie Watson Lisa & David Brown Medibank Stuart McLeod Sunbury All Creatures Tracy Newhouse
Right: children enjoy the Christmas fair Harry Payne
BOOK LAUNCH
A biography about the late Professor David Danks, the founding Director of the Institute, was launched in front of 100 family, friends and colleagues in August. Seven years after his passing, Double Helix, Double Joy documents the achievements of David Danks, the man known as the father of clinical genetics in Australia.
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Annual Report 2010
corporate partners Our corporate partners provide significant financial support for our research, as well as helping to promote the Institute to new friends and supporters.
Two new partnerships with SPC and Vaalia were secured in late 2010. Together these partnerships will provide close to $1 million in funding for our research. In addition, the Murdoch Childrens logo will be featured on all Vaalia yoghurt packs by mid 2011, and on SPC packaging later in the year. Murdoch Childrens looks forward to working with the teams from SPC and Vaalia to launch these national partnerships in the New Year. Murdoch Childrens continued to receive support from its long term partners, Kay & Burton and Snooze. 1
KAY & BURTON
SNOOZE
Murdoch Childrens thanks Kay & Burton for looking after our most loved assets – our children.
When it comes to a commitment to health and wellbeing, Snooze hasn’t been snoozing!
Since 2008, Kay & Burton’s partnership has helped our research team address the big issues affecting child health including allergies, diabetes, cancer and depression.
For the past three years, Snooze has been in partnership with Murdoch Childrens to help make the lives of children happier and healthier.
We thank Kay & Burton for its financial commitment, passion and enthusiasm for our work, which has helped our team make important discoveries to improve the health and happiness of Australian children. Highlights in 2010 included a joint marquee at the Portsea Polo which raised close to $90,000 and participation by the Kay & Burton team in the FOXTEL Lap.
Snooze’s partnership has seen franchisees from around the country engage local communities to invest close to half a million dollars from the sale of its Simplee Kidz and Osteo Youth Support beds. Snooze’s support has been used to seed fund priority research into conditions such as cancer, allergies, diabetes and genetic disorders. So when you shop at Snooze, you’ll not only sleep well, but you’ll also help kids to live well.
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1. Ross Savas & Mike Gibson, Directors of Kay & Burton with Adrian Redlich (centre) 2. Brittany Mauger & Anthony Cantor 3. Sleep well to help kids live well
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corporate philanthropy & pro bono Major corporate Philanthropy Abbott Australasia Actelion Pharmaceuticals Big W Commonwealth Bank Staff Community Fund FOXTEL Ipsen Laiki Bank Australia Macquarie Group Foundation Westpac Wyeth Australia
Major corporate pro bono Audi Australia Austereo Bean Media Cactus Imaging Cotton On Deloitte Fitness First Australia FOXTEL The Herald & Weekly Times KPMG Learning Seat Melbourne Review Weekly News Community Media News Custom Publishing News Limited News Magazines Norton Rose NOVA Omnigraphics oOh! Media Paperlinx Randstad River Capital SCT Logistics Servcorp Splitrock Sweeney Research Village Roadshow Films Westpac Yabby Lake Wines
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Annual Report 2010
Big W’s Big heart For the past seven years, Big W, its staff and customers have been supporting heart research at Murdoch Childrens. Heart disease is still a leading killer of Australian children, accounting for more than one third of all childhood deaths. It is also the number one cause of admission of our kids to intensive care. “As part of Big W’s Big Heart Campaign, we have been proud to raise over $500,000 to support paediatric cardiology research” said Shane Thornton, Big W’s Regional Manager of Victoria and Tasmania. “Our staff have also got right behind the cause - selling raffle tickets in store, organising events and planning our annual fundraising ball. But most of all, they enjoy visiting the Murdoch Childrens and The Royal Children’s Hospital, to see how they are helping to make a real difference to the lives of children with serious heart disease.” Cardiologist Dr Michael Cheung and Shane Thornton at a Big W fundraising event
National advertising campaign increases awareness Whilst physically based in Melbourne, the research discoveries of the Murdoch Childrens help children no matter where they live. As such, the Institute promotes itself nationally, to engage new friends and supporters from across the country. With $2 million in pro bono support from News Limited and Ooh! Media, the Institute’s national awareness increased significantly over the past year, thanks to promotion of an advertising campaign starring Ambassador Sarah Murdoch (see page 65). Thanks also to Austereo, Audi Australia, Cactus Imaging, My Child Magazine, Omnigraphics and Westpac for supporting the advertising campaign in 2010.
major donors Murdoch Childrens acknowledges the generosity of its major donors. Major donors Association of Greek & Affiliated Panhellenic Interests Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation Bailey’s Day Charity Event Ballandry Fund: Peter Griffin family Bone Marrow Donor Institute John & Janet Calvert-Jones Children’s Cancer Centre Foundation Andy Choo CIKA Leigh & Sue Clifford Collier Charitable Fund Philip & Caroline Cornish Count Charitable Foundation James & Claudia Craig Stephen & Sally Damiani Department of Planning & Community, Sport & Recreation Victoria Lindsay & Paula Fox Graeme & Pamela Fraser Fred & Vi Lean Charitable Trust George Castan Family Charitable Foundation Michael Gibson Philip H Goodman Geoff Handbury Heartkids Victoria Mark & Donna Howlett The Invergowrie Foundation The Isabel & John Gilbertson Charitable Trust David Jenkins & Fran H Lefroy KOALA Foundation Lansdowne Foundation Marj Lefroy George & Joan Lefroy Leukaemia Research Fund Limb Family Foundation Lions Cord Blood Foundation Miller Foundation Mark Moody-Stuart Dame Elisabeth Murdoch My Room National Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre Noah Felmy-Glas Trust
Outdoor Council of Australia The Outdoor Education Group Paediatric Integrated Cancer Service Rowly & Judy Paterson The Ponting Foundation The Pratt Foundation Sam Riggall & Nichola Lefroy The Samuel Nissen Charitable Foundation Pamela Sargood The Scobie & Claire Mackinnon Trust Seafirst Australia Spotlight Charitable Foundation The Steven Walter Foundation
The Sunraysia Foundation Peter & Debbie Thomas Nick Tyshing & Narelle Curtis The Vain & Harry Fish Foundation Alasdair Vance The Yulgilbar Foundation Zig Inge Foundation
Estates & bequests Estate of Beryl May Mannix Estate of Claire McDonald Estate of Nance Elizabeth Creaton Estate of Edna Kingston
MORE ROOM FOR CANCER RESEARCH My Room, a volunteer fundraising committee, was established in 1993 by the three families who had children undergoing cancer treatment at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Children’s Cancer Centre. Over the past few years, My Room has provided $1.5 million for cancer research at Murdoch Childrens, including for vaccine development to treat chemotherapy resistant cancer and for research into the biology and molecular mechanisms that lead to leukaemia. Integration of Murdoch Childrens with the RCH Children’s Cancer Centre provides our research team with a unique advantage - our team works closely with the doctors and nurses caring for kids with cancer, and they also have the opportunity to interact with cancer patients for research purposes. “Thanks to research, cure rates for some childhood cancers have improved dramatically, from 20 per cent in the 1970s, to 80 per cent today,” My Room Chairman James Roche said. “My Room believes that research holds the key to not only improving treatments, but also to finding a preventable cause of childhood cancer.”
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donors
Thank you to our generous donors in 2010* A Andrew & Shadda Abercrombie Aberdeen Asset Management David M Abouav & Stephanie T Deeley Robert Albert Alpini Foods Altitude Volvo Mark & Shani Anderson The Annie Danks Trust ANZ ANZ Echuca ANZCHOG Aquanas Aquastar Christopher Archibald Tony Archibong Martin & Toni Armstrong Lachlan & Rebekah Armstrong Aroma Espresso Michael (Rangi) Attwell Australian Camps Association
B Antony & Sybil Baillieu Andrew Baines Bamford Family Foundation Agnes Bankier David Bardas Martin & Anne Marie Bartlett The Baxter Family Foundation The Bayside Group Tony & Robyn Beddison Michael & Judy Begg John & Cristina Bell Scott Bennett Bligh Berry Daniel & Danielle Besen Marc & Eva Besen BGSR BlackRock Investment Management Brian & Helen Blythe Paul Bolinowsky Boomaroo Nursery William Bowness
Boxy Design Camilla Boyd Malcolm & Janet Brodie Rebekah Brooks Nick & Prue Brown Kester & Janet Brown Elu Brown & Andrew Willder Jeffrey & Debbie Browne Christopher Bryan Mark & Ann Bryce BSA Limited Lucas Burton George Buschman The Butterfly Foundation Peter Buttigieg Peta Bydder
C Mark Calvert-Jones Angus Cameron M Greg & Fiona Carns Steven Casper & Ilana Wald CGA Mining Michael Chapman Charter Mason HK Chew & TW Chung Christian Venues Keith Chui Peter Cichello Clamms Seafoods CLEFTPALS Victoria Steven Clemans Peter & Joan Clemenger Club Sales Simon Collins Helen M Collis Complete Design Interiors Nick & Jan Conidi Jeff Cook Robert Coombe Mark & Georgie Coombe-Tennant Sam & Sophie Cooper Coral Colours Corporation Octavio Costa Countrywide National Network Andrew & Abby Cox
Laurence & Julie-Ann Cox Peter Craig Justin Crawford George & Deirdre Cremasco John & Joy Crennan CSG Professional Services Curosurf Cyprus Club Kapouti
D Amanda D’Abo Albert & Debbie Dadon Brent & Janine Dankesreither June Danks Alister Danks Dans Plants Matthew & Carolyn Davidson Andrew Davidson Tony & Trisha Davies Tony Davies Marcel Dayan Nick & Cherry de Crespigny David de la Coeur Colin & Michelle De Lutis David & Kristene Deague Gerald Delany Deloitte Demand Management Systems Ron & Kate Dewhurst Simon Dighton Denis Dowty Tracey Driver Frank & Rose Dunphy The Dwyer Family
E Brian Eley Barbara Ell John & Jenny Eltham Embelton Limited Stephen & Rebecca Emmerson
F Darren & Carolyn Febey Robert Fiani
*Donations of $500 or more are listed. Government and competitive grants are listed on page 48-50, event sponsors, donors and pro bono supporters are listed on page 51-54, major donors are listed on page 57 and corporate partners, major corporate philanthropy and major corporate pro bono donors are listed on page 55-56.
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Annual Report 2010
Ron Finkel Fitness First Australia Barry & Helen Fitzgerald The Flew Foundation Flower and Hart Lawyers Andrew Forrest Brian & Janet Forshaw Grant & Penny Fowler Morry Fraid & Inna Friedman John & Diana Frew Simon & Mia Frid Alex & Liz Furman
Andrew & Kate Hines W H & Rea Hodgson Eagers Holden Marty Hore Gaby & Roni Hubay Peter Hudson Dominic & Anita Hughes Gillian Hund Gareth Hunt Robert Hutchison & MaryAnn McKenzie Rob & Ro Hyde
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I
Matthew Gammon Michael & Helen Gannon Neilma Gantner Helen Gazal Sylvia Gelman Matthew George David Gibbs & Susie O’Neill John & Susanna Gibson Peter Gibson Girl Guides Geoff Gishubl Quinton Gleeson Simon Glendenning Global Construction Services Global Plumbing The Good Guys Foundation Joseph Goodall Anne Goodchild Noel & Marlene Gould Louise M Gourlay Ross Grant Elaine Greenhall Geoff Greer Grant & Ciara Griffiths
ICAP Australia Peter Iles Patricia Ilhan Peter & Penny Inge
H Caroline Halcoop Jackie Hall Maurice E Hall Hall & Wilcox Geoffrey & Tracey Hamilton Barry Hamilton Michael & Susie Hamson Ian Hancock Paul & Robyn Handbury Fiona Handbury-Payne & Richard Payne Gary & Pauline Harley Stephan & Trudi Hay Barbara Haynes David Heathcote Geoffrey & Dorothy Heeley Tim Helfers S Hendler Clare Hennessy Gerard & Ruth Higgins
J Christopher Jahja Ben & Ros James James Frizelle’s Automotive Group Liz Jensen Rebecca Jensen John P McPhee & Associates Alyssa Jones David Jones
K George & Rose Kailis Kailis Foundation Kaplan Professional Kawasaki Disease Foundation Andrew Keenan Ian Kennedy & Sandra Hacker Peter & Noelle Kerdel Kim Bie Kheng Justin & Gina Klintberg John & Coral Knowles Susan Konings Mark Korda Alan Kozica Andrew Kroger
L Ray Landini Elisa Lando Latin Transport Lavan Legal Ian & Jill Lawrence Xenia Laycock Andrew Lees Rob Legge Lyn Lennon Richard Leventer Rodd A Levy Glenda Lewin Pennie Lewis
Mark Lingafelter David Linke Litai Fund John B Little Eric Liu John Lobban Shirley Long Richard & Kate Longbottom Richard Longes Emma Longmore John & Susan Lord Craig Loughran Greg Lovett Alexandra Lowen Geoff Luxton
M M & G Seafood Wholesalers M2 Telecommunications Group Christine Macgill James Mactier Brendan Malone Mantzaris Fisheries The Marble House Panos & Effie Margaritis Mariner International John Maroulis MARS Petcare Paul & Simone Martin Jerry Masaryk Matsarol Foundation John & Sue Matthies Jason May Richard & Brenda Mazzucchelli Jamie McBride & Loren Sahely Alister McDonald Kristene McDonough Chris McEvoy Rob McGavin John & Marita McIntosh James McIntyre Stuart McLeod Brian McMaster Ian & Libby McNaughton Bill McNee Phil & Glenda Mehrten Graeme & Shayne Menzies Andrew & Jean Miller Frank Miller Rob Mills & Lucinda Marshall Stanley Mohr Phillip Moll Julie Moon James & Stacey Moran Hugh & Elizabeth Morgan Phillip Muhlbauer Elisabeth Murdoch Lachlan & Sarah Murdoch Sandy & Sandra Murdoch
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N NAB Staff Club Andrew Nadinic Peter & Rachel Neil News Limited News Magazines NewsNet John Nolan North East Newspapers
O Anne O’Driscoll Michele O’Halloran Patrick O’Hare Optimo Outdoor Educator’s Association of SA Outdoor Recreation Centre of VIC Outdoor Recreation Industry Council of NSW Outdoors WA
P Erica Packer Patti Pain Peter & Diane Pausewang Laurence Peck & Sarah Hutchins Nunzio & Assunta Pellicano Renato Pellicano Alf Pelliccione George Penklis Sophie Pennington Simon Perrott Peter Isaacson Foundation Alison Pigott Mark Pink Polyplas Lady Primrose Potter Grahame Pratt Phillip & Carmen Prendergast Presbysterian Ladies College Junior School PricewaterhouseCoopers Probus Club of Port Phillip Pure Fitness Group
Q Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation John & Adrian Quilter
R RACV Club George Raitt Denis & Angela Ralph Donna Ravenscroft Ghadir & Melissa Razuki RBS Group Recreation South Australia Red Desert Dreamings Adrian & Christina Redlich Regal Seafoods
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Annual Report 2010
Brett Reynolds Nick Riewoldt Rinnai Australia Annette Roberts Michael & Judith Robinson James Roche & Stuart Andrews Ken & Gail Roche Rodika Research Services BJ Roper Paul & Gay Rosen Jonathan & Nadine Rosham Rotary Club of Canterbury Stephen Roux Peter Rowsthorn Russell Investment Group Guy Russo Tim Ryan
S Nathan & Dahlia Sable Matthew Sahely Ian Saines Brady Scanlon Jason & Gabby Scillio Sealord Group Ben Sebel Joseph Sentosa Hugh Shannon Richard & Trine Shelmerdine Rodney & Sheena Sillitoe Steven & Lousje Skala Warren Skinner SMILE Foundation David Smorgon & Kathie Rozner Rodney Smorgon Social Club Naoussa George Spiropoulos Neil Spitzer Matthew Starick Evangelos Stefanidis & Soula Stefanidis Margarete Steffens Grant & Terri Stephenson Donna Stevens Miranda Stojanovski Jeanne Strachan Strinco Gowan & Cath Stubbings A & V Succi David & Sarah Summerfield Supafin Swisse Vitamins
T Peter & Mary Tallis Taylor Fry Consulting Actuaries Terumo Corporation Ion Teska Thalassaemia Australia Andrew Thompson Harold Thompson
Torrumbarry & District Community Torrumbarry Hotel Motel George & Debbie Toumbakis Treasury Casino & Hotel Tresscox Lawyers
U UBS Foundation UC Publishing Uncle Bobs Club United Way Uniting Church Camps Patrick & Margaret Upfold
V Nick & Kendra van de Merwe Lisa Veall Victorian Outdoor Education Association Sam Vilo
W Brian Walsh Paul Wanis Bernard Ward Greg Ward David Washbrook Jenny Webb Sarah Webb Deanne Weir Andrew & Jo Wenzel Mark & Michelle Wenzel Tony & Valerie Wenzel Adam & Karen Westaway B Wheelahan Chris Whittle Wilbow Group Holly Williams Chris Williams Kim Williams Geoff Wilson WIN Corporation Jason & Glennis Winnett Matthew Witkowski Michael Wong John Wright Smith
X XYZ Networks
Y Michael Yates YMCA Victoria Matt Young Jason Young
Z Andjelka Zivanovic
In celebration of Abby Bloom’s Batmitzvah
In celebration of Suzi Carp’s 40th birthday
Gary & Suzanne Adler Stewart & Natalie Baron Daniel Benjamin Andrew & Lisa Blode Barry & Lorraine Bloom Mark Byrne & Jacki Buchbinder Bernard & Helen Carp Michael & Emma Carp Andrew & Michelle Casper Michael & Carol Casper Russell & Louise Casper Steven Casper & Ilana Wald Eve Casper & Oscar Sokolski George & Freda Castan Richard & Danielle Davies Mark & Julie Epstein Anthony & Genia Foxman David & Sandi-Lee Gabriel Raphael & Fiona Geminder Robert & Jacqueline Greenberg Robert & Pauline Grodski Berni & Melma Hamersfeld Lisa Hofheimer David & Leonie Huppert Antony & Gaby Jacobson Fiona Johnson Jeremy Kaplan David Kenley Alana Kennedy Daniel Klotz & Nerel Ezra Eli & Natalie Kovkin Ashley & Leigh Krongold Lionel & Marian Krongold Henry & Janette Lanzer Adam & Regina Levine Bori & Helen Liberman Jeffrey & Helen Mahemoff Naomi Moseshvili Justin Negri & Simmonne Neil Michael Wise & Deborah Rechter Syd & Sara Robenstone Agatha Rosenthal Robert Szwarcberg & Felicia Glass Roy & Sylvia Tashi Eric & Jan Upton Alex & Heloise Waislitz Braham Zilberman
Steven Casper & Ilana Wald Jarrod & Belinda Cohen Zac & Rebecca Fried Leonard & Tanya Hamersfeld Emma Rosenberg Nathan & Dahlia Sable David & Lisa Thurin
In celebration of Ian Bridge & Trish D’Souza Richard Codling
In celebration of Alyssa Carp’s Batmitzvah Joshua Frydenberg Mark Gerstel Nathalie Moar Joanne Sackville
In celebration of Danielle Davies’ 40th birthday Richard & Lisa Bloom Barry & Emily Brott Rodney & Vanessa Brott Brandon & Nicky Carp Michael & Emma Carp Barry & Suzi Carp Peter & Monica Edwards Sharen Fink David & Amanda Fried Nigel & Leora Givoni Brian Hamersfeld & Natalie Bloom Leonard & Tanya Hamersfeld Lisa Hofheimer Dean & Shareen Joel Ashley Kausman & Lisa Mann David Weissman & Natalie King Peter & Alla Lew Justin Liberman & Lisa Farber Bradley Lyons Quentin & Amanda Miller R & N Moshinsky J S Naiditch E Naiditch Justin Negri & Simmonne Neil Peter & Emma Robenstone Ben Rozenes & Laini Liberman Amanda Ruben Jeremy Shapiro Emily Slade Dean & Ellie Smorgon Michael & Hayley Smorgon Ricky & Amanda Smorgon Joanne Star Robert Szwarcberg & Felicia Glass G & K Velleman Avi & Sandy Waislitz Phillip & Gaye Weeden Shay & Anna Zayontz
In celebration of David Gibb’s birthday Christopher & Annabell Koren Andrew & Katherine Little Peter & Maureen McKeon Angela McPherson Kevin Quigley Victoria Redwood Garrick & Simone Rollason Lisa Ronald
In celebration of Ben Harrison & Emily Armistead’s wedding Christopher & Katie Peterson
In celebration of Annette Hayman’s birthday Robyn Arya Jenny Better Shelley Cohney Sheila Colls Freda Curtis Genia Feldman Judy Fetter Helen Freeman Shirley Glance I Grossman Marlene Grunberg Jennifer Huppert Linda Kestenberg Yvonne Lieblich Nicole Magill Kirsten Mann Lidia Naimo Steven Shadur M & R Wolman
In celebration of Hannah Louise Jackson’s baptism Alexandra Williams
In celebration of Clark Kirby & Sarah Groen’s wedding Graham & Robyn Burke Kristen Griffin Jenny Kantorovich Timothy Mason Hayley Sarantis Nick & Caroline Sladen
In celebration of George Lefroy’s 70th birthday S H Stuart & Hunt
In celebration of Tom & Sylvia Lowenstein’s 50th wedding anniversary Da-Code Design Pty Ltd Rae Darvas L & E Elbaum George Fast M Fox Walter Granek M & M Johnson W Jones S Purves Hyman & Helen Sharp The Sunraysia Foundation F Wald
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In celebration of the birth of Aerin Elisabeth Murdoch
In celebration of Fae Smith’s Birthday Mildred Taft
Merrick Watts
In celebration of Kellie Perkin’s 40th birthday Melissa Carney Heidi Craig Jane Dando Peter de Fontenay Alison Hayes & Shane McGennisken Eric Mills Nicci Olsen Steve & Melinda Taranto Susan Torres Alan & Wendy Wroblewski
In celebration of Marianne Roth’s 90th birthday Lorry & Eileen Badrian Margit Banczewski Joan Black Heins & Meredith Borlin Vera Friedin Paul & Helen Gardner Norma Gleedman Paul & Renate Linton Margot Lustig Inge Mohrer Martha Mote Emil Rosenkranz Martha Sanders Sam & Naomi Stopnik Gunther & Lore Wolff
In celebration of Les & Julie Rothbart’s 40th wedding anniversary P & Rosie Hersch
In celebration of Shirley Rutman’s 60th birthday Barry & Kaye Fink Jeffrey & Helen Mahemoff
In celebration of Dahlia Sable’s 30th birthday Rachel Bloom Steven Casper & Ilana Wald Dean & Tanya Cherny Gavin & Melissa Davis Jonathan & Kelly Gelfand Leon Haskin & Jill Rosenberg Lindsey & Debbie Kotzman Andrew & Judy Rogers Ben Rozenes & Laini Liberman Michael & Sharonne Slonim Sam & Helen Sokolski
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Annual Report 2010
In memory of Jake Bond Jack & Moira Audley Deirdre Black Don & Elly Borthwick Peter Choveiri Nick Conidi Paul & Chris Convery Roger Coulson Pat & Shirley County Phil County Norma County Kerrie County Robert & Cathy Davis Joe & Linda Faralla Mick Faralla & Cen McMinn Natasha George & Fern McGivney Brenda Green John & Heather Henderson Lisa Iacobucci Erin Minogue Evan Owen Amanda Pascoe Maryanne Phelan Kenny Pitson John Roberts Wendy Robinson Michael Russell Craig Seipolt & Natalie Lulevski Trish Veitch Troy & Raylene Walters Y & G Waugh David & Sue Wilson
In memory of Ruby (Leahy) Brooker Tarric & Anna Brooker Stephen Brooker & Janine Leahy David McOrmond
In memory of Suzanne Brown Jack & Irene Brown
In memory of Graeme Burkett Pat McDonald
In memory of Maria Francesca Calderone Frank & Rita Bua-Giancarro Ignatius & Vicenza Calderone Vince & Cathy Cicciarelli Germana Gino & Cathy Mercurio
Guiseppe & Tina Paiano Rosina Polimeni Mario & Raffaela Scarcella Carmela Sergi Domenico & Domenica Trifilo Gerald & Maria Veneziano Elena Ventieri Vito & Rosa Vinci
In memory of Nathanial Cervas David Olive
In memory of Ruth Collison Glen & Yvonne Faulkner Golden Harvest Quilters
In memory of Eliza Ann Davis Doreen Bennett Matthew Prue L Russell Nik Spartels
In memory of Cooper Steven Gooding Jennifer Collins
In memory of Stuart Groen Lauren Calabro
In memory of Justin Hamersfeld Andrew & Michelle Casper Steven Casper & Ilana Wald
In memory of Zack Hayman Kirsten Mann
In memory of Ada Margaret Jayathilake Darshani Egodawatte
In memory of Eric and Steven Levett Susan Mosdell
In memory of Josee Lord Leslye Asciak Lyn Hopwood David Jones Mavis Clara Lord Brian McIntyre Penny Wall
In memory of Shaun Nicholas Martin
In memory of Charli Lauren McCoullough
Ken & Irene Redman
Scott & Carlyn McCoullough
In memory of Dr Rob McAlister
In memory of Robert Mohr
Danielle Ackland Judy Allain Kerrie Aquino Glenda Ashton Glenys Bailey Ruth Bashford Rita Bracco Sheena Broughton Martin Bures Richelle Buttin Will & Kerry Carter Dorothy Coles MaryAnne Condello Belinda Connolly Joy Dickinson Stacey Does Suzanne D’Ombrain-Allain Sandra Eaton Marie Everton Sharon Feeley Rob & Lisa Ferguson Candice Fulston Lucienne Graetz Tania Gruber Lisa Guest Cheryl Harrison Stella Heley Lauren Humphrey Christopher Ineson Pauline Jones Langwarrin Medical Clinic Ann Lawler Catherine Marshall Emily McAlister Robyn McAlister Claudine McLagan George & Anne Mikolajunas Maria Morelli Laura Ockwell Sue Phillips Candice Poortier Annette Poortier Anthony Powell Terry Rankin Samantha Reid Sharon Reitmeier Kerrie Rodgers Liz Shemmell David Stevens Casey Wells Teresa Weston Caroline Wheatley
Danielle Suss
In memory of Hope Brook Neil Peter & Rachel Neil
In memory of Charlotte Nottebohm Garry Triglavcanin
In memory of Indiana Orlando Ross & Judith Gardner
In memory of Matthew Paikos Arthur & Heather Paikos Maria Paikos
In memory of Kristen Potts I & D Price
In memory of Emma Ritchie Sue Ritchie Robyna Calisthenics
In memory of Leah Sarris Pina Muraca
In memory of Flora Ruby Suttie Anuja Agarwal James Aitchison Robert Ansell Michelle Baillieu Radek Barnert Steven Barrett Lewis Bell Bill Chan Andrew Chirnside Charles Chirnside Rosmin Dallah Sabine Detweiler Scott Dolling Gayle Donagher Mark Duncan Glenn Firestone Justin Gallagher
Nick Gorman Karl Guilfoyle Michael Hastings Mark & Romy Hendel Damian Hoult Nicholas Kee Norma Sophia Kelly Aaron Lagerlow Adam Lavis Jenny Lin Macquarie Group Foundation Heather Matwejev Stirling & Sascha McGregor George & Karla Molina Justin Morrison Mayur Nallamala Eleanor Nicolay Stefano Romano Katherine Rose Byron Rose Jack Roxburgh Roshan Rummun Matt Ryan Manuel Scolamiero Julian Scott Paul Selby Stuart Smythe Charles Stodart Ben Suttie Kam Fat Tin Patrick Ting Annabel Wallace Richard Webb Philipp Wickart John Woods Mimi Wu Adam Zaki
In memory of Claude Alfred Willie Jacki Hambour Doug & Cheryl Hartney Hogan Family
In support of Team Callum Kerrie Aitken Brooke Alexander Jane Mary Andersen Desley Anderson Graeme Anstey Cigdem Aydin Andrew Bain Kacey Baines Keith Batson Mariangela Bettoni Carlie Billing Rodney Bird Kellie Blacklock
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Peter Blewitt Tiffany Borg Georgina Borg Shelley Borg Steve Bourke Amy Brown Susan Burke Kathy Burke Paul Busuttil James & Susannah Calvert-Jones Donna Catanese Lisa Ciechomski Rhonda Coady Pixie Connor Barbara Crellin Gillian m Crook Scott Cullum Grant Dawson Christina Day Jodie DeGregorio Kate Di Blasi Timothy Diblasi Peter Dickins Isabel Dimond The Dingoes Refrain Brian Dobson Mathew Duyvestyn Lara Elmaoula Brian Fox Kimberlie Furness Daniel Gauci Nicola Gee Anne Gilchrist Janet Griggs Jennifer Groat Sandra Grogan Raymond Hallal Steven & Karen Hamill Jason Hamilton-Smith Lisa Hamilton-Smith Megan Harrington Beryl Harris Sophy Hayes Brent Heib
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Holly Hill Bruce Hollingworth Karen Holmes Jacqui Horan Siobhan Hudson Margaret Jansen Nathan Johnson Sophie Jubb Lynne Kear Ellen Kelly Valentina Kocoska Paola Labrecciosa Lynda Lamp Shaun Laxton Ina Lorimer Sharon Lourdes Adam Marchio Peter Martin Lynette Maugeri Patricia Mc Garry Stephen D McCormack Stephanie McGowan Sharon McLean Ashley McMahon Catherine Meddis Kristian Michelson Anthony Milligan Max Mitchell Fernando Monasi Gayoso Paul Mulgrew Sally Noble Emma O’Leary Catherine Parker Helen Pass Donna Paxton John Pearson Franca Piccolo Lubos Polakovic Graham Pretty Christopher Ragusa Kathryn Richardson Warren & Joy Ridge Cassandra Rousell Jemma Sanders Susan Scheele
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Annual Report 2010
Manal Seedhom Brett Sellers Lynette Sibley Nadene Smith Alison Souter Tamara Sullivan Melissa Takacs Rebecca Tanner Sandra Tanner Cheryl Tarr Gael Telford Rhonda Tempest Thunderbirds Rod & Custom Club Vic Inc Rosemary Treacy Stephen van Nooten Michelle Varcoe Sue Volk Peter & Denise Ward Kristy Williams Murray Woolnough Robyn Zohs Shelley Zohs
Pro bono Bloom Cosmetics Cavill + Co Damm Fine Food David Bromley Hub Group My Child Magazine Placesettings Savi Communications Southern Colour The Big Group
1. Professor Terry Dwyer (centre) with George & Rose Kallis 2. Professor Andy Choo, Laurie Cox and Suzi Carp 3. Dahlia & Nathan Sable and Vivienne Fried
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TOMORROW’S CURES NEED YOUR DONATIONS TODAY You have the power to help the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute save kids’ lives. With your support, our researchers can continue to discover cures for conditions including diabetes, cancer, allergies, premature birth, obesity and genetic conditions. Donate today. Phone 1300 766 439 or visit www.mcri.edu.au
Thank you to the following organisations who generously assisted in the production of this report.
Production & Design
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Edited by Eszter Vasenszky & Alyssa Jones (pr@mcri.edu.au)
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