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HMSTrust Biobank launched at St Vincent’s Institute
Image Prof Tom Kay, Director SVI & Ms Sue Best, Director, NRL with Dr Phillip Moors AO, Chair, HMSTrust at the launch of the HMSTrust Biobank
A collaborative and innovative approach to medical research
The HMSTrust Biobank at St Vincent’s Institute Medical Research was officially launched on 29 September and will enable vital medical research, accelerating the application of new discoveries to patient care.
HMSTrust has a long history of supporting St Vincent’s Institute stretching back to 1971. The HMSTrust Biobank will allow the storage and collection of human blood and tissue samples. These samples can help researchers confirm or clarify results in human tissues, which may then lead to new treatments. The HMSTrust Biobank is another example of the collaborative and innovative approach to medical research that St Vincent’s Institute and its partners take in their quest to understand, prevent and treat diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
“This project would not have been possible without the support of the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust, the Marian and E.H. Flack Trust and our clinical partners, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne,” said SVI’s Director, Professor Tom Kay.
“Their support allowed us to create a ‘home’ for the Biobank, funding infrastructure works and the purchase of equipment to make this vision become a reality.”
At the launch, the Chair of the HMSTrust, Dr Philip Moors, said he was delighted to see the project come to fruition since the grant of $300,000 was made in 2011.
“We are very careful about the projects we support, but this one ticked all the right boxes. We know in time it will provide researchers and clinicians with the tools needed to benefit and improve the health of patients, which is what medical and clinical research is about.
“For funders, measurement is king. Like government, philanthropy needs to know whether our funding is having a real and positive impact. But impact can’t necessarily be measured in one, two or even three years. Our investment in the establishment of the HMSTrust Biobank highlights the wisdom of investing in good people with good ideas. And importantly, it reinforces the needs and benefits of being a patient funder.”
The HMSTrust Biobank is being managed by the NRL, a division of SVI. Formed initially to develop and provide rigorous quality control processes during the HIV/Aids epidemic, it is a WHO Collaborating Centre for Diagnostics and Laboratory Support for HIV and AIDS and Other Blood-borne Infections.
