The St George and Sutherland Medical Research Foundation (SSMFR) has entered a new chapter after securing office space in the grounds of St George Hospital.
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The foundation was formed in 2007 by a group of passionate St George Hospital doctors as an independent body, but works closely with South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) and University of New South Wales (UNSW) to raise funds to support groundbreaking medical research in the area.
It has since awarded medical research grants totalling more than $7.8 million to researchers based at St George and Sutherland hospitals.
By securing office space within the hospital grounds, free of charge, it will now be able to continue its quest to improve the health and well-being of the community, now and in the future.
St George Hospital general manager Paul Darcy welcomed the foundation to the hospital grounds.
"We are very happy to be able to facilitate the foundation moving onto the St George Hospital campus, and hope this location will help raise the profile of the foundation and the amazing work done by our talented medical researchers here at St George Hospital," he said.
This foundation's chairwoman Cathy Yuncken said the move was an exciting development.
"[It is] allowing us to increase our profile and work more closely with the St George Hospital community to support medical research in our hospitals," she said.
"From grants provided to medical practitioners and scientists in our hospitals, to the nationally-significant Microbiome Research Centre at Kogarah, our goal is to enable globally-recognised medical research in our hospitals, and secure their position as great centres of biomedical science and medical care."
The foundation's chief executive Leanne Dib thanked the hospital for its support.
"After a challenging year, we turn towards this new year committed to working even more closely with our hospitals to turn scientific discovery into the best possible treatment, care and outcomes for patients and our broader community," she said.
The foundation recently awards its 2020 research grants.
Three researchers from St George and Sutherland hospitals received funding for research projects that focus on improving care for medical conditions and diseases that impact many in the community. The grants were awarded to:
- Dr Kevin (Jie) Ni, $46,000, for a novel liquid biopsy assay of blood exosomal microRNA profiles to improve prostate cancer
- Professor Georgina Hold, $50,000, to facilitate translational research studies into Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Dr Bill Giannakopoulos, $50,000, for quantification of redox forms of plasma ApoJ, ApoH and PDI to identify patients at-risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
One of the foundation's founding members, Professor Kate Moore said: "Having watched the foundation grow from a start-up enterprise in 2007 to the impactful research organisation, it is a proud moment to witness St George Hospital officially recognising the importance of the foundation's contribution to research activity within the hospital and the health benefits this provides to the community".
Details: ssmrf.com.au.
