At a glance
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450
1200
Research Projects Underway
People
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Clinical Trials
Peer-reviewed publications
Total competitive funding
240
983
$69m
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$17m Fundraising & bequests
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$137m Total revenue
Based on 2017 figures
The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) is home to many significant scientific discoveries. We believe there is an answer, a cure or a better treatment for every childhood condition — and we’re determined to find it.
Our purpose We want all children to have the opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilled life.
As the foremost children’s research institute in the Southern Hemisphere and Top 3 internationally, we are renowned for our cuttingedge science focusing on early intervention and prevention.
We employ over 1200 researchers across more than 60 research areas. One of our strengths lies in our partnership and co-location with The Royal Children’s Hospital and the University of Melbourne - the Melbourne Children’s Campus. This unique model allows for dual-appointments of researchers, clinicians and academics, amplifying opportunities for bench-tobedside research. Together, we share a powerful vision — to re-imagine the future of child health.
Leadership Team
Professor Kathryn North AC
Professor Andrew Sinclair
Director
Deputy Director
Dr James Dromey Chief Operating Officer
Research themes
Our five specialist areas are designed to stimulate scientific collaboration and accelerate discoveries.
Infection & Immunity We’re protecting children against preventable diseases such as allergies, common infections and immune conditions both locally and internationally, with a focus on vaccine development.
Cell Biology Our researchers want to understand how cells work, and how disease alters those functions. This is crucial to making discoveries that help children with developmental disorders, cancer and congenital diseases.
Genetics Our genetic research is vital to achieve earlier diagnosis and deliver targeted treatment for genetic disorders, infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases.
Clinical Sciences Our researchers work to care for babies, children and adolescents with serious acute and chronic illness, including complications of heart and brain development. The ultimate aim is to save lives and improve outcomes for our most vulnerable.
Population Health We aim to understand the social, environmental and biological factors influencing child health to target modern epidemics of obesity, allergy, diabetes and mental illness.
RESEARCH DONE DIFFERENTLY
Strategic initiatives
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Together with our campus partners, MCRI has established a number of initiatives to tackle the major health challenges facing children and adolescents.
RSE
Australian research, global reach Genomics • Leading the implementation of genomic medicine across Australia. • Using 50 years of Newborn Screening to lead to early interventions for rare genetic conditions. • Markedly improving diagnostic accuracy and diagnostic rates through genomic sequencing. • Acute Care Genomics is working to provide genomic test results in as little as five days to quickly pinpoint the cause of each child’s condition and inform their clinical care.
Stem Cell Medicine • Developing blood stem cells to revolutionise treatment for blood cancers like leukaemia. • Growing mini-tissues and organs from stem cells – the next frontier in medical research.
• Developing stem cell-derived beating heart cells to improve outcomes for children with heart disorders. • Developing models of disease for diabetes, childhood leukaemia, muscle and kidney disorders and congenital heart disease to develop new and targeted therapies.
Lifecourse • Collecting longitudinal data from birth to study the origins of common diseases. • Improving public health, clinical practice and policy for all children through the power of these unparalleled data resources. • Developing life-changing treatment and preventions for children with peanut allergies. • Establishing one of the world’s largest longitudinal studies of children – GenV – to give every child in Victoria, and Australia, the opportunity for better lifelong health and learning.
Global Health • Developing a new rotavirus vaccine that will protect newborns and significantly improve the lives of over 500,000 children worldwide. • Reducing child deaths from pneumonia globally through comprehensive care programs, trials and guidance on the best vaccines. • Becoming a global health centre to coordinate, support and implement new vaccines; measure and track global disease; and develop interventions to address issues facing the poorest children in the world. • Working to reduce the impact and prevalence of conditions including rheumatic heart disease, scabies and tuberculosis among disadvantaged children.
Our manifesto We believe that for every question there’s an answer. For every child’s illness there must be a cure. For every obstacle there must be a way around. What inspires us is asking the big questions – Why is it so? Why does it happen? How can we fix it? What excites us is tackling the big issues affecting children’s health. Children are at our heart, in our blood, and in our bones. We believe every child deserves a healthy start to life. And a happy and prosperous community needs healthy children. We believe in the power of curiosity, cleverness and cutting-edge research. We are excited by discovery and new knowledge to make a difference. The future is purchased by the present, we can shape the future, We can change the world. So every child can have a childhood. So every child can grow to reach their full potential Children are at the heart of everything we do.
Where it all began “ It has been rewarding and quite remarkable to see what a difference medical research has made to the lives of us all, but particularly children.” Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Just over thirty years ago, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and other leading philanthropists supported paediatrician Professor David Danks’ vision to establish a children’s research institute. In 1986, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute was born. The Institute has grown from a handful
Contact Us +61 1300 766 439 +61 3 8341 6200 +61 3 9348 1391 mcri@mcri.edu.au mcri.edu.au
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute The Royal Children’s Hospital, 50 Flemington Road Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia ABN 21 006 566 972
of researchers focused on genetic conditions to Australia’s foremost child health research organisation with a broader focus on child health. For more than three decades, our discoveries have been improving the lives of children worldwide.