Our Focus

The MHTP research agenda is driven by current health priorities, focusing on heath conditions and diseases recognised as having major social and economic impacts on the local, Australian and global communities. Aligned to the national health priorities, the six research themes are:

Cancer

THEME LEADER: A/Prof Zee Wan Wong

Monash Health Oncology Research Unit was established in 1999 and has a long history of conducting clinical trials to a high standard. It is one of the largest clinical trials units in Melbourne and has an active and exciting trials programme enabling Monash Health patients to benefit from early access to the world’s newest medications, treatments, and therapies. All phases of clinical trials are being conducted, from First in man Phase 1 trials, Phase II, Phase III and Phase IV studies. In addition, many studies have a strong translational component with correlative laboratory studies on biopsy and surgical specimens, to allow maximal understanding of cancer and how it is affected by new treatments.

To be referred a clinical trial, a patient’s GP or specialist needs to email a referral form to outpatients_moorabbin@monashhealth.org with a subject line stating the trial to which referral is being made, or the condition if no specific trial is known. The Lead Investigator for the trial will then be in touch with the patient directly to assess their eligibility and make a face-to-face appointment in our dedicated Clinical Trials Clinics in MHTP building at Monash Medical Centre, Clayton.

Cardiovascular

THEME LEADER: Professor Stephen Niccolls

Our Victorian Heart Institute delivers research excellence which turns into measurable change in the rates of heart disease in Australia and beyond.

There are some unmet needs in the cardiovascular disease research space that we believe are preventing Australia from making a real impact for patients.  The need is for more personalised, cutting edge novel solutions that work for many individuals, especially the most vulnerable in our society.

These five areas are the VHI’s research themes or ‘grand challenges’, targeting the areas of greatest opportunity in battling the cardiovascular disease crisis.

In addition to these grand challenges, research priorities of the VHI also include the creation of an Asia-Pacific Hub for Cardiovascular Clinical Trials and databases, registries and biobanks. Creating world-class registries and having access to biobanks of tissue sample allows the research impact of trials to expand and benefit from scale and additional knowledge.

These are shovel-ready projects ready for expansion into the Victorian Heart Hospital when it opens in 2022.

 

Children’s Health

THEME LEADER: Professor Katrina Williams

Our Paediatrics team is based at Monash Children's Hospital, part of the largest health service in Victoria.  The research we conduct in the Department of Paediatrics spans basic laboratory discovery research through to clinical and population health research, and covers the age spectrum from conception to adolescence, and the entire lifespan in collaboration with our local partners; these include:

At our state-of-the-art education and research centre at Monash Children’s Hospital, we offer ideal conditions for research students from medical and science backgrounds.

Research areas

Clinical Trials Centre

Clinical trials provide patients with the most innovative treatments and medications available and improve the management of a range of diseases and medical conditions.   

The Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP) has proudly facilitated more than 200 clinical trials within the state-of-the-art MHTP Clinical Trials Centre to date. In an Australian first, our unique and distinctive facility supports research conducted at Monash University and the Hudson Institute in collaboration with Monash Health, the largest public health service in Victoria. 

Multiple Monash Health departments access the Clinical Trials Centre including Haematology, Oncology, Gastroenterology, Lung and Sleep, Diabetes, Infectious Diseases, Neurology, Stroke, Nephrology, Critical Care and ENT.  Our trials are helping patients with a range of diseases and conditions, including Lymphoma, Advanced Solid Tumours, Hepatitis, Cystic Fibrosis and Asthma.

Since opening in December 2015, our dedicated and self-contained clinical research and trials facility has revolutionised how trials are conducted within Monash Health.  Our co-location with researchers, on level 3 of the purpose-built Translational Research Facility, at the precinct, enhances collaboration and links between basic and clinical research and patient care, expediting translation of vital discoveries to the bedside.

The MHTP Clinical Trials Centre, directly connected to Monash Medical Centre by a link bridge, contains 10 consulting rooms, 8 clinical beds and 21 treatment chairs dedicated to clinical trials patients and can be accessed 24/7 should a trial require. Dedicated research nurses provide timely and accurate protocol-required data in a professional, warm and inviting environment. 

Supported by an on-site DXA machine, a dedicated trials pharmacy and pathology service, the MHTP Clinical Trials Centre offers a one-stop-shop for conducting clinical trials.

Working together with Monash Health’s Research Support Services, Monash Health, Monash University and Hudson Institute researchers and coordinators, the Centre supports trials from Phase 1 through to Phase 4. 

The MHTP Clinical Trials Centre continues to increase access to a countless number of trials for the fast growing population of Melbourne’s South East, and encourages national and international research collaborations. 

Contact:

Monique Pedetti, MHTP Clinical Trials Centre Nurse Manager

Ph: +61 3 85722400

Email: monique.pedetti@monashhealth.org

 

Diabetes, Obesity, Men’s Health and Endocrinology

Theme leaders:
Professor Peter Fuller
Professor Helena Teede

Goals/achievements:

The targets of this Theme are to improve conditions related to hormonal and metabolic disturbances. These include:

  • Increased screening for diabetes in high risk populations
  • Significantly decreasing micro and macrovascular complications of diabetes
  • Developing standardised medical and surgical protocols for an obese population
  • Improve outcomes in prostate and thyroid cancer
  • Improve detection and treatment of osteoporosis

Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases

THEME LEADERS: Professor Brendan Jenkins and Professor Michael Hickey

The immune system has evolved to protect the body from infectious agents and other harmful environmental stimuli. This early innate immune response not only protects from viral and bacterial infection but also chemicals, products of dead cells and oxidative stress products, by mounting an inflammatory response.

Inflammation is a double-edged sword. Without inflammation, we would never recover from infection, however too much inflammation can be just as dangerous as no inflammation at all. An over-active inflammatory response can contribute to diseases like hepatitis and lung injury such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), septic shock, stroke and cancer. It can also lead to diseases of pregnancy, the fetus and neonate including recurrent miscarriage, preeclampsia, necrotizing enterocolitis and periventricular white matter (brain) injury.

There are a number of research groups within MHTP investigating different aspects of the role of inflammation in acute infections caused by bacteria and viruses. They are also studying the origin and progression of chronic diseases such as gastritis, arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke and asthma.

MHTP researchers are also investigating the links between innate immunity, inflammatory processes and cancer. They are particularly interested in how ribonucleic acid or RNA, a macromolecule essential for all forms of life, responds to the innate immune system. Understanding these interactions are crucial to combating viral infection, as well as regulating immune responses important in autoimmune diseases and cancer onset and progression.

 

 

 

Neuroscience and Psychiatry

THEME LEADERS: Professor Suresh Sundram and Professor Henry Ma

At MHTP, we provide research and teaching in the field of developmental psychiatry and psychology with a particular focus on child, adolescent and family mental health, and works in close affiliation with the clinical services provided by the Monash Health Early in Life Mental Health Service.   Over the past five years, special areas of interest have included mental health in children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, autism and other pervasive developmental disorders, disorders of infancy, attachment, school refusal, trauma, refugees, anxiety and depression.