WAHTN board member, Professor Peter Klinken has been recognised with the nation’s highest honour, Companion in the Order of Australia (AC) in the general division of the order of Australia for his eminent service to medical research, biochemistry and to the community.
This distinguished award celebrates Professor Klinken for his seminal work in cancer, genetics and biochemistry; in addition to his dedication and longstanding advocacy of science and medical research.
Professor Klinken has been an integral part of the success of the WAHTN through his capacity as Chief Scientist of WA.
Professor Klinken was the only West Australian to receive this award on the Queen’s Birthday, 12th June, 2017. Amid the excitement, his allegiance to the WAHTN was evident; serving as the Master of Ceremonies at the WAHTN accreditation event hosted by Murdoch University.
In addition to his contributions in science, medicine and innovation, Peter continues to successfully engage the community and increase public appreciation of medical research. His attitude of, “Team WA” epitomises what is at the core of the WAHTN.
On Monday 12th June, 2017, The Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP formally announced that the WAHTN has received accreditation as an Advanced Health Research and Translation Centre by the NHMRC.
This formal recognition places Western Australia amongst the world’s top centres performing translational research to directly improve patient care.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) accreditation recognises WAHTN as a world-class clinical and research facility prepared to embrace and accelerate research translation.
In his speech this morning, Minister Ken Wyatt explained that this accreditation places WAHTN as one of the world’s leading centres of collaboration with a focus on practical translation, education and training, and outstanding healthcare. WAHTN was commended for fostering research collaboration across boundaries between general and hospital practice, geographical regions, and health service disciplines.
This is the first such recognition for Western Australia and the network now joins the alliance of the other six accredited advanced centres across the country.
The WAHTN brings together WA’s major hospitals, medical research institutes, two private hospitals, the WA Department of Health and all five WA universities, to translate health research into policy, practice and innovation.
The recognition will deliver significant benefits, including improved access to national level funding and networks, supporting it to continue to build research translation capabilities in Australia.
Executive Director of WAHTN, Professor John Challis said the accreditation was a tremendous achievement that raised the status of WA’s health and medical research sector at a national and international level.
“The success of the WAHTN is testament to the strong collaboration between all partners involved who drive the research, translation, patient care and education programs,” Professor Challis said.
“This accreditation will allow us to expand our current research to continue to provide benefits to health researchers across the state and improve the health and well-being of all Western Australians”.
The recognition was awarded to the WAHTN following an extensive assessment process and external evaluation by a panel of international experts.
To be recognised as an AHRTC, the WAHTN met the following six criteria:
1) Leadership in outstanding research and evidence based clinical care, including for the most difficult clinical conditions;
2) Excellence in innovative biomedical, clinical, public health and health services research;
3) Programs and activities to accelerate research findings into health care and ways of bringing healthcare problems to the researchers;
4) Research-infused education and training;
5) Health professional leaders who ensure that research knowledge is translated into policies and practices locally, nationally and internationally; and
6) Strong collaboration amongst the research, translation, patient care and education programs of the centre.
Minister Ken Wyatt AM, MP, Professor Eeva Leinonen, Professor Peter Thompson and Professor Peter Klinken AC
Professor Eeva Leinonen, Vice Chancellor at Murdoch University said “This is a proud moment for Western Australia to receive recognition that its health and medical research translation activities are being performed at an international standard of excellence, and a proud moment for Murdoch University to host this recognition event”.
Dr David Russell-Weisz, Director General, Department of Health highlighted that AHRTC accreditation raises the status of Western Australia’s health and medical research sector from a national and international perspective. “The accreditation will boost recruitment to WA of outstanding young professionals, with basic science, clinical and allied health backgrounds who want to work and practice amongst the best in the country. In turn, this will help create jobs and new wealth for the State”.
Dr David Russell-Weisz, accepting the AHRTC accreditation awarded to the Western Australian Health translation Network (WAHTN) on behalf of the Department of Health, WA.
Further information on NHMRC Advanced Health Research and Translation Centres and the International Panel’s report is available on the NHMRC website.
The Spinnaker Health Research Foundation, formerly known as the Fremantle Hospital Medical Research Foundation calls for expressions of interest (EOI) for its grants program for 2018:
Spinnaker Health Research Grants – multiple grants of up to $15,000 ($20,000 in exceptional circumstances)
Edith Hearn Bequest: Research Collaboration Grants – 2 grants of up to $75,000 over 2 years (*strictly for Fremantle Hospital & research into incurable diseases only)
Barry Marshall Travel Awards – 2 grants of up to $2,500 or 1 up to $5,000
The EOI can focus on any area of medicine or community health with relevance to the Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group or the South Metropolitan Health Service. A substantial portion of the research must be conducted within the South Metropolitan Region.
Expressions of interest close: noon, 30 June 2017
Researchers who are clinicians, allied health workers and scientists are encouraged to apply.
Applications are sought from both early career and experienced researchers, with projects from early career researchers, as CIA and an associate mentor, receiving extra weighting.
EOI to demonstrate:
Scientific merit, innovation and impact
Value and significance to clinical application
Significance and relevance to the south metropolitan community
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full application by 30 August. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of October 2017.
Details and application forms on https://www.spinnakerhealth.org.au/
The Research Education and Training Program (RETP) and is proud to announce the release of the new 2017 Version 2 Good Clinical Practice Modules on May 23, 2017! In the past six months, the RETP Team has been very busy making revisions to the first GCP course released in September, 2016.
What can I expect as an online participant?
The new GCP V2 includes updates from the ICH GCP 2016 Guidelines and local and national policy updates.
This new version also meets the 2017 TransCelerate V2 mutual recognition requirements (2017).
The course has had a complete “makeover” to reflect the appearance similar to all other RETP courses.
Improved quiz questions and content with input from several experts across WA and
What if I recently completed the GCP Version 1 online course?
The certification is still valid and can be used as you require. It is recommended that you complete the GCP training every two years (or sooner). The new version provides updated information for new participants. The GCP modules will be regularly updated every six months to reflect changes in local, national and international policies, and guidelines.
The Royal Society of Canada has awarded Professor John Challis with the title of “Life Member” for his remarkable contributions to science and medicine.
WA researchers have announce that the Patient Blood Management model – initiated by the Western Australian Department of Health in 2008 has resulted in better health outcomes and reduced health costs.
The radical program pioneered and researched in WA has shown spectacular results and is now being adopted internationally.
This is an excellent example of successful health research translation – whereby the evidence, first published in 2008 – was immediately adopted into practice and applied system-wide across the state.
Professor Gary Geelhoed, Chief Medical Officer of WA, and Dr Simon Towler, a former Chief Medical Officer of WA, who is involved with blood management reform at a national level in Australia, discussed the successful translation of this landmark research last week on the Health Report with Dr Norman Swan.
The Minister for Health, Greg Hunt has announced the detail around the allocation of the funding into clinical trials in Australia as handed down at the 2017 Budget last Tuesday.
Key elements of the MRFF funding boost for clinical trials:
Supporting research in public health and rare diseases: $13 million will be used to support research into a number of public health areas which contribute to the highest burden of disease, including the application of precision medicine.
More fellowships for clinical researchers: The Turnbull Government will invest $8 million to ensure the supply of high-quality next-generation research talent through boosting the scale of existing NHMC fellowship schemes. Fellowships awards will be announced from early 2017-18.
Increasing collaboration in research: the Turnbull Government is also providing $7 million over four years to help redesign State and Territory clinical trial operating systems.
Supporting clinical trials and registries – clinical trials networks: the investment is $5 million over four years and includes networks of investigators and service providers that work together to identify and evaluate new approaches to optimise healthcare effectiveness.
Adolescents and young adolescents with cancer: The funding of $5 million for new targeted clinical trial activity for adolescents and young adolescents with cancer, to be administered by CanTeen that was announced as part of the Federal Budget.
As part of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), the Government is continuing to deliver on its promise to establish a $20 billion capital in the fund, with this target to be achieved in 2020-21.
Read the full media release by Research Australia HERE.
The 6th Annual NHMRC Symposium on Research Translation, will be co-hosted this year by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Lowitja Institute.
The Symposium will present an outstanding opportunity to focus on action needed to improve the health and wellbeing of Australia’s First Peoples through effective translation of health, wellbeing and medical research into policy and practice.
It will also be a forum to share knowledge of what successful research looks like at community level and what the key elements of success are.
The Symposium is for anyone with an interest in improving the health and wellbeing of Australia’s First Peoples through the better use of high quality research in practice and policy.
It will include researchers, policy makers, health care practitioners, community health workers, community members and consumers.
Symposium participants will have the opportunity to network with, learn from, and establish collaborations with others committed to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
EVENT DETAILS
Type: Symposium
Theme: “The Butterfly Effect: Translating Knowledge into Action for Positive Change ”
Date and time: 14-15 November, 2017 (9am-5pm)
Location: Brisbane, Australia
** Call for abstracts has now been extended to Friday 23 June) **
Registrations for the Symposium will open in June 2017.
Abstracts are to be submitted online by Friday 23 June on “The Butterfly Effect: Translating Knowledge into Action for Positive Change “.
The submission of abstracts that translate the knowledge authors have gained from their community groups, workplace, research and policy environment into action for positive change are encouraged. In particular:
demonstrate the embedding of the principles of research knowledge translation throughout the research
celebrate accomplishments
facilitate nurturing and support of early career researchers and community members
facilitate collaboration between experienced and less experienced researchers
engage Centres of Research Excellence
involve allied health, clinical, and community health personnel; and
engage policy makers.
Themes and life course
Authors are encouraged to consider their abstracts under the following broad themes in conjunction with the life course stages in which projects may reside.
The five stages of the life course are maternal and child health, children, youth, adults and older adults and are aligned with the priorities described in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023. The themes are:
Capacity building
Social and cultural determinants of health
Data sovereignty: Capturing, storing and managing knowledge
Indigenous knowledges and community engagement: receiving and interpreting knowledge
Translation and impact: integrating knowledge to shape outcomes
Abstracts should be no longer than 250 words for oral and poster abstracts and no longer than 500 words for workshop abstracts.
Registrations
Registrations for the Symposium will open in June 2017. All accepted authors must register for the Symposium.
Further information, including details regarding the Symposium program, will be provided in the coming months.
Applications for the 2017 Premier’s Science Awards and nominations for the 2017 WA Science Hall of Fame close at 10am (AWST) on Monday 22 May 2017.
About the awards:
Premier’s Science Awards
The awards celebrate significant achievements in scientific research and engagement by Western Australians.
The 2017 Premier’s Science Awards feature four award categories:
* Scientist of the Year ($50,000 prize);
* Woodside Early Career Scientist of the Year ($10,000 prize);
* ExxonMobil Student Scientist of the Year ($10,000 prize); and
* Chevron Science Engagement Initiative of the Year ($10,000 prize).
WA Science Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame was established in 2007 to recognise internationally renowned Western Australian scientists who make exceptional lifelong contributions to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Winners of the Premier’s Science Awards and the Science Hall of Fame will be announced in August 2017 during National Science Week.
