About

Westmead Research Hub is a cooperative partnership that brings together hospitals, universities, medical research institutes, and pathology services to share resources and infrastructure. It started from humble beginnings in 2001 with original partners, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (then named Westmead Millenium Institute), Westmead Hospital, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Children’s Medical Research Institute. Today, The Hub is comprised of seven major partners and supports 1,400+ researchers and students across multiple disciplines.

It is governed through a Council and several operational committees that influence major equipment purchases, grant applications, events, commercialisation initiatives and other projects. The committees are composed of representatives from our seven partners:

• Western Sydney Local Health Districe (WSLHD)
• NSW Health Pathology
• Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network
• The University of Sydney
• CSIRO
• Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR)
• Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI)

A simplified version of The Hub’s governance structure is shown in the below graphic, to find out more about our committees and how to get involved, visit our Governance page.

Westmead Research Hub undertakes projects that encourage collaboration – in sharing both physical resources and brain power of its members. The goal of the Hub is to grow Westmead as a world-leader in health and medical research by exercising our strength in numbers.

Continuing a research legacy

Since the sequence of the full human genome was published in 2001, medical research has accelerated and changed direction in efforts to produce diagnostics, cures and preventions for major human diseases.

Coupled with advances in other fields, this has led to rapid changes in survival and quality of life in a number of previously fatal cancers, such as melanoma. New methods of treatments such as gene and cell therapy have also been developed and provide exciting new avenues to treat patients with fatal congenital diseases in children as well as leukemia and lymphoma in adults.

For centuries, research breakthroughs like these have produced the diagnostics, cures and preventions for major human diseases and conditions that, today, we take for granted. From over the counter medications to treat headaches, to insulin treatments that have saved the lives of millions of diabetics, to the eradication of smallpox. These vital breakthroughs all began with a research discovery that, over many years, was translated into a medical treatment, before it was available to benefit patients.

Today, and into the future, the Westmead precinct is ideally positioned to accelerate this flow of research discovery, to translation, to delivery of patient benefit. Breakthrough research from discovery to clinical research in most major fields is conducted across Westmead’s research institutes, paediatric and adult hospitals, pathology labs and universities on the
precinct, and are rapidly translated into clinical advances in the largest hospitals in the State. The engagement of clinician scientists across Westmead research institutes and hospitals is already facilitating this translation of findings, is informing research programs, and is educating our young clinicians and scientists in the medicine of tomorrow. However to propel us into a globally leading position, as an exemplar precinct for Australia, we need larger, more direct and coordinated investment – and it is an excellent investment.

Funding to turn medical research discoveries into new medical technologies not only benefits patients, it delivers excellent economic returns. It is estimated that medical research delivers health benefits worth $3.90 for every $1 invested.

The Westmead precinct is an investment in innovation, collaboration and ultimately, better health for current and future generations of Australians and indeed people throughout the world. Commitment to building the precinct infrastructure and research capacity is needed to ensure that this potential impact is realised.