Landmark grant builds
world-class lab
The HMSTrust Laboratory was officially
opened at MIPS in August. The worldclass translational research facility is the
first of its kind in Australia, putting MIPS
at the forefront of global health research
and development.
The development of the new lab was made
possible by a landmark $1.2 million grant from
the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust. This fostered
a further $1.4 million of in-kind contributions from
international industry partners PerkinElmer and
Shimadzu. This combined support helped leverage
an additional $1.5 million, bringing the total to more
than $4 million.
Some 130 guests – comprising government
and industry representatives, donors and senior
university staff – attended the official opening
by the Victorian Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy.
Ms Hennessy said the laboratory would ensure
Victoria and Monash remain world leaders
in global health. “The HMSTrust Laboratory
is a shining example of Victorian research,
development and infrastructure having a
global impact,” she said.
Bringing together Victorian research institutions
with international biotech and pharmaceutical
organisations, the HMSTrust Laboratory creates
a dynamic hub for research and development.
Located within the Drug Delivery, Disposition and
Dynamics theme at MIPS, the laboratory makes
available sophisticated physical and chemical
characterisation instruments to support
pharmaceutical research and overcome
drug development challenges.
MIPS director Professor Bill Charman thanked the
HMSTrust and industry partners for their support,
collaboration and vision in establishing the new
facility. “These state-of-the-art facilities and
capabilities will support researchers in making
14
the giant translational leap from research
to new medicines,” Professor Charman said.
“The laboratory will improve global access to
life-saving medicines, while providing industryleading training for the next generation of
pharmaceutical scientists.”
The HMSTrust Laboratory is open to both Monash
and external researchers, with systems training
and support available for all instruments. The
open-access platform will enable home-grown
researchers to continue to develop their projects
within Australia.
The establishment of the lab builds on the success
of an earlier HMSTrust grant that enabled MIPS to
purchase key analytical equipment in 2007. This
equipment, still in use today, enabled early-career
researcher Dr Michelle McIntosh to develop the
groundbreaking Inhaled Oxytocin Project. This
work was the catalyst for establishing the worldclass HMSTrust Laboratory, of which the now
Associate Professor McIntosh is director.
The global industry partnership between
PerkinElmer and Shimadzu is a world first,
providing advanced technologies for Victorian
pharmaceutical researchers to develop improved
global health solutions. HMSTrust