Menzies Research Institute

Menzies Research Institute

Type	Public
Established	1988
Chairman	Mr Bruce Neill
Chancellor	Michael Field AC
Vice-Chancellor	Professor Peter Rathjen
Director	Professor Tom Marwick
Location	Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Affiliations	University of Tasmania Menzies Foundation Royal Hobart Hospital Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes
Website	www.menzies.utas.edu.au

The Menzies Research Institute Tasmania (formerly the Menzies Centre for Population Health Research, established 1988) is a research institute of the University of Tasmania based in Hobart. The institute conducts innovative, world-class medical research to improve human health and well-being.^[1]

History

In the late 1980s, the Menzies Foundation supported the establishment of an epidemiology research centre at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, to be named the Menzies Centre for Population Health Research. The Foundation provided annual funding to the Institute and was successful in obtaining matching funds from the Tasmanian Government. The Menzies Centre for Population Health Research was formed in 1988 and became the Menzies Research Institute in 2004.

From modest beginnings, the Menzies Research Institute quickly gained a reputation for its ground-breaking work into the link between babies’ sleeping position and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Menzies developed into an established centre for population health research, with a global reputation in epidemiology. Some notable successes include:

• highlighting the importance of vitamin D in the development of bones in children and adults;
• showing evidence of the link between early life sun exposure and susceptibility to multiple sclerosis;
• discovering the link between babies' sleeping position and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS); and
• discovering platelets found in the blood kill the malaria parasite during the early stages of a malarial infection.^[2]

Current research

Menzies Research Institute Building

The Medial Sciences Building forms part of the University of Tasmania Medical Science Precinct along with the Menzies Research Insititue Building in Hobart

The Menzies Research Institute Tasmania aspires to contribute significantly to human health and wellbeing, with particular emphasis upon research that takes advantage of Tasmania's unique population resource and other competitive advantages. Its research efforts focus on preventing a range of diseases including cancer, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease, osteoporosis, epilepsy and dementia.^[3]

The institute's research themes include:^[4]

• Biostatistics
• Cancer Research
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Diabetes & Metabolism
• Genetics
• Health economics
• Immunology
• International Health
• Musculoskeletal
• Neuroscience
• Population health and Epidemiology
• Primary Health Care
• Protein Chemistry
• Respiratory

Education

The Menzies Research Institute Tasmania is committed to educating the medical researchers of tomorrow.

One of the key goals of Menzies is to attract high quality Australian and international research students, and train them to become future research leaders. Providing a stimulating and rewarding learning environment that is responsive to student needs has become an important focus of Menzies.

Aspirations and core goals

The institute's aspiration is to contribute significantly to human health and well-being, with particular emphasis upon research that takes advantage of Tasmania's unique population resource. It aims to achieve this through leadership that embraces excellence, best practice and world class standards in four core goal areas:

1. research excellence;
2. distinction in training and education of future scientists, clinicians and related research professionals;
3. translation of our research outcomes into clinical benefits; and
4. infrastructure and services.

These aspiration and goals have been developed to ensure that Menzies is nationally and internationally recognised for its innovation and the pursuit of excellence through research that provides health, economic and community benefits for all.^[5]

Research centres

The Menzies Research Institute Tasmania has two research centres; the Australian Cancer Research Foundation Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Centre^[6] and the Wicking Dementia and Research Education Centre.^[7]

References

1. "Menzies Research Institute Tasmania - Home". Menzies.utas.edu.au. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
2. "Department of Health and Human Services". Dhhs.tas.gov.au. 2010-02-12. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
3. "Menzies Research Institute Tasmania - Overview". Menzies.utas.edu.au. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
4. "Menzies Research Institute Tasmania - Themes". Menzies.utas.edu.au. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
5. "Menzies Research Institute Tasmania - Our Aspiration and Core Goals". Menzies.utas.edu.au. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
6. ACRF Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Centre - $1.1 million grant, Australian Cancer Research Foundation.
7. "Menzies Research Institute Tasmania - NewPage". Menzies.utas.edu.au. Retrieved 2012-11-08.

External links

• Menzies Research Institute