Researchers at the Telethon Institute have forged strategic collaborations with researchers in their fields at major universities and institutes around the world.
Some of our key collaborations are listed below.
UWA Centre for Child Health
Research (a joint venture between the Telethon
Institute and The University of Western Australia)
Established in 2001, the UWA Centre for Child Health Research
facilitates closer collaboration with the University of Western
Australia, providing access for staff in the Centre to relevant
university services including administrative and research services
and postgraduate student administration. The Centre for Child
Health Research is located within the Faculty of Medicine,
Dentistry and Health Sciences, and is closely linked with the
School of Paediatrics and Child Health.
UWA School of Paediatrics and Child
Health (SPACH)
Based at the Children's Hospital Medical Centre, which includes
PMH and the Telethon Institute, the school is firmly focussed on
delivering first-class paediatric graduate and postgraduate
students as well as undertaking intensive research into all issues
affecting the health of children. It also provides clinical
services at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. The School is
responsible for the teaching of paediatrics to undergraduate
medical students and for postgraduate training in paediatrics and
related sciences. Many of the Institute's PhD students are enrolled
through SPACH and we collaborate closely in many research
endeavours (such as the Vaccine Trials Group, asthma and allergy
research and others).
Princess Margaret Hospital for
Children
The Telethon Institute continues to have a close working
relationship with the state's children's hospital. With the planned
relocation of PMH within the coming decade, the Institute and PMH
have been developing the concept of a contiguous research and
education facility. The close working relationship between medical
research, clinical practice and teaching is exemplified in the
important areas of children's cancer and leukaemia, infectious
diseases,
respiratory medicine, diabetes and obesity.
Edith Cowan
University
The Telethon Institute has a number of collaborative studies with
Edith Cowan University, mainly in the area of Population Sciences
which has been formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding addressing joint research and postgraduate teaching
opportunities.
Murdoch
University
The Telethon Institute hosts several Honours and postgraduate
research students from Murdoch University, principally in the
Division of Molecular Biotechnology. New collaborations in
Biomedical and Clinical Sciences as well as Population Sciences are
being developed. The relationship between the Telethon Institute
and Murdoch was formalised in a Collaboration Agreement in
2008.
Notre Dame
University
Researchers at Notre Dame University Australia have a
collaboration with Telethon Institute staff on the WA Pregnancy
Cohort (Raine) Study.
Phylogica
Drug discovery company Phylogica (ASX:PY C) is the first
commercial spin-out from the Telethon Institute. Phylogica's
innovative Phylomer® technology targets and blocks disease protein
interactions, constituting a drug discovery engine designed to
produce cost-effective therapies with fewer side effects than
existing treatments.
Papua New Guinea Buttressing
Coalition
The Telethon Institute is proud to be a member of the Buttressing
Coalition of the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research
(PNGIMR). Members share a common interest - to sustain and to
strengthen the PNGIMR without jeopardising its integrity. Our
Director, Fiona Stanley, is the current Chair of the Buttressing
Coalition. We are involved in the Papua New Guinea pneumococcal
conjugate vaccine project, co-supervise PhD students and host
PNGIMR staff and students for exchange visits.
Children's Oncology
Group
The Telethon Institute, through its Children's Cancer and
Leukaemia Laboratory, is a member of the Children's Oncology Group,
the world's largest children's cancer research collaborative which
focuses on translating research from laboratory to bedside. With a
network of more than 5,000 physicians, nurses, and scientists,
their collective collaboration, research and care have turned
childhood cancer from a virtually incurable disease to one with an
overall 78 per cent cure rate.
UCL Institute of Child
Health
The University College London Institute of Child Health pursues an
integrated, multidisciplinary approach to enhance understanding,
diagnosis, therapy and prevention of childhood disease. A broad
range of paediatric issues is covered, from molecular genetics to
population health sciences. Our collaborations result from our
common interest in population data sets and using epidemiological
data to influence preventive policy. Our major current
collaboration is with Professor Ruth Gilbert on an international
study of child maltreatment.
Cambridge Institute for Medical
Research
CIMR is a modern research facility in Cambridge UK, where clinical
and basic science converge in the study of the molecular mechanisms
of disease. The Telethon Institute's Professor Jennie Blackwell set
up this institute and continues her research there by being an
affiliated Principal Investigator.
University of British
Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Our researchers in early child development including the
Australian Early
Development Index activities, collaborate closely with Professor
Clyde Hertzman and his team. They work on similar early
developmental pathways and share methodologies.
Mailman School of Public Health,
Columbia University, New York City, USA
Our studies on autism, mental health and Aboriginal health
collaborate with
Professor Ezra Susser and colleagues in NYC. This includes
post-doctoral
placements, sharing data and conducting analyses on studies
together.
International Rett Syndrome
Database
Professor Helen Leonard and her team at the Telethon Institute
work with many countries to collect information on girls with Rett
Syndrome. These data are collected online and form part of
important international research on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment
and genetic aspects of the disease.
International Clearing House of Birth
Defects
Many countries participate in sharing their data from Birth
Defects Registries to enable international monitoring and research.
In addition to our data and research from the WA registry being
involved, Professor Carol Bower is the current President of this
important international activity.
International Network of
Childhood Cancer Epidemiology
The Telethon Institute's Dr Liz Milne is the Australian
representative on this network which was formed to encourage and
enhance research into the causes of these cancers, many of which
are too rare to be studied in one country alone.
Manitoba Centre for Health Policy
and the International Data Linkage
Consortium
Due to considerable experience over many years of linking
population level data and analysing it to inform policy and conduct
research, the Telethon Institute is now part of this international
group. The collaborations with Manitoba have been ongoing for
several years and closely link into our Developmental Pathways
Project.
