The COVID-19 pandemic gripping the world since 2020 is a lesson in the dangerous and often fatal effects of inflammation following infection. But did you know more than half of all deaths worldwide are also caused by conditions linked to inflammation?
That’s why we’re proposing to establish a world-leading National Centre for Inflammation Research (NCIR) at Hudson Institute.
The centre was kickstarted with $1 million in funding from the Victorian Government, announced in October 2020 by the Hon Jaala Pulford, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy. This funding is being used to assist with detailed planning to establish the NCIR at Hudson Institute, co-located with Monash Medical Centre in Clayton, as well as critical seed funding to accelerate inflammation research.
Hudson Institute is home to the largest group of inflammation researchers in Australia. Scientists at the new NCIR will investigate cell and gene therapies, immunotherapies and the microbiome to treat chronic and dangerous inflammation during infection, cancer or chronic diseases.
The state-of-the-art centre will cement Victoria as a global leader in medical research and enhance the state’s capability and capacity to respond rapidly to current and future health challenges, including pandemics.
The building will include facilities to manufacture therapeutics, increased capacity for clinical trials and much-needed PC3 containment laboratories to study infectious disease outbreaks and multidrug resistant bacteria. More than 950 jobs will be created throughout the project.
Further State and Federal government and philanthropic funding will be sought to complete the project, which is expected to attract significant international commercial investment.
“If we can short circuit the pathways that lead to severe and chronic inflammation, we can have a real impact on major human diseases like sepsis, cancer, endometriosis and other inflammation-related conditions. We’re calling for a national focus on this area to accelerate much needed progress.”– Prof Elizabeth Hartland, Director and CEO
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