Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery

Last month, the ACMD in collaboration with BioBridge was proud to host an international workshop on 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering. Co-hosted by Dr Serena Duchi and Professor Tim Woodfield, the workshop brought together a diverse field of researchers, clinical translation experts, and industry partners from across Australia and New Zealand. A series of insightful presentations showcased the latest research across the field, covering 3D bioprinting, cartilage and bone repair, biosensors, cardiac repair, and cells and device manufacturing, among others. Core to the workshop was a panel discussion bringing together clinicians from both countries into conversation with translation experts from the ACMD, exploring how these exciting ideas can be used to improve patients' lives. The workshop also provided an opportunity for the New Zealand delegation to explore our research sector, touring the Integrative Cartilage Research Group at the University of Melbourne, the RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing, and the Hudson Institute of Medical Research under the organisation of Dr Duchi. Our thanks to the New Zealand delegation for travelling so far to present their research, and to all of our researchers and contributors who so generously shared their knowledge with the community. We look forward to hosting future workshops in collaboration with international partners. 

The new ACMD building at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne is fast establishing an identity as a Victorian landmark and already commanding strong street presence on the corner of Victoria Parade and Nicholson St. More than 300,000 hours of building work has gone into this project so far. As we embark on the final phase of construction, we reflect on the building journey to date with this video snapshot that captures some of the key milestones from demolition of the former Aikenhead Wing at St Vincent’s to the ground floor slab being laid, and, more recently, the final concrete floor being poured to round out structural completion. Not long now until the internal fit-out gets underway and we see the heart of the building come to life. Vision supplied by Kane Constructions Kane Constructions Pty Ltd, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Australian Catholic University, Bionics Institute, University of Melbourne, Swinburne University of Technology, RMIT University, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), Denton Corker Marshall, St Vincent's Health Australia

We were excited to welcome Ben Carroll to the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne to mark an important milestone in our building journey. The Victorian Deputy Premier and Minister for Medical Research announced the structural completion of the project while touring the site yesterday. The final floor of the 11-storey biomedical engineering research translation centre has been poured. We are now more than halfway through construction and edging closer each day to opening our doors next year. During his visit, Minister Carroll was able to see first-hand how the building’s spaces are transforming. Locally sourced cement and aggregate have been used to create the structure and about 200,000 hours of labour involved in this phase of the build. “The Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery is a game-changer and I can’t wait to see the collaborations that will deliver world-leading discoveries and breakthroughs to save lives and improve health outcomes in Victoria and abroad,” said Minister Carroll. We are grateful to the State and Federal Governments, and our fellow ACMD partners and donors, for supporting this project.    Big thanks, as well, to our building partners Kane Constructions Pty Ltd and Denton Corker Marshall for the important roles they are playing in bringing this project to life.  Australian Catholic University, Bionics Institute, Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), RMIT University, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, St Vincent's Health Australia, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Swinburne University of Technology, University of Melbourne

St Vincent’s Melbourne Research Week, held in collaboration with the ACMD founding partners, will host an online public lecture with Dr Norman Swan next Wednesday. Dr Swan and a panel of experts will discuss the critical role of Advanced Care Directives (ACD). Exploring how ACD can empower individuals to make informed healthcare choices, the lecture will be an opportunity to discuss and share personal stories and experiences from patients, clinicians and family members. The panel will feature St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne’s Chief Medical Officer and Intensivist Antony Tobin, Chair of Palliative Medicine Professor Jenny Philip, General Practitioner Dr Monica De Sousa and Consumer Representative Alison Gough. Date: Wednesday, 7 August 2024  Time: 5:00pm – 6:00pm  Location: Online To register, visit:  https://lnkd.in/gSHY-4re Australian Catholic University, Bionics Institute, Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), RMIT University, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Swinburne University of Technology, University of Melbourne.

Congratulations to ACMD partners St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Swinburne University of Technology and University of Melbourne on receiving a Federal Government community grant towards a joint project aimed at making pathology results easier for patients to understand. Just over $570,000 was awarded by the Department of Health and Aged Care’s Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Program to support the Consumer Actionable Pathology Reports (CAPR) Project that will investigate the development of an electronic tool to translate pathology results in a format that is easy for patients to read and comprehend. The CAPR project team was formed as a direct result of the ACMD Challenge Program, which is proudly supported by Safer Care Victoria and the Australian Medtech Manufacturing Centre. It demonstrates how the ACMD is supporting bringing together multidisciplinary teams to tackle medical challenges. Currently, pathology test reports are highly technical documents used to inform clinicians about disease diagnosis and assist them with patient treatment and management. The language is complex, full of medical jargon and may leave patients feeling stressed and anxious, or less inclined to do something about their health issues. “The fundamental aim is to empower patients to become more engaged in taking the appropriate preventative steps for better health and quality of life,” said the Project Lead, Dr Christina Trambas, a Pathologist and Acting Medical Director of St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne’s Pathology. “By tailoring reports to meet the information needs of consumers, this project is exploring the untapped potential of pathology to guide patients’ decisions towards making improved lifestyle choices that can potentially prevent or reduce the development of chronic diseases that cost the Australian healthcare system billions of dollars, such as diabetes and heart disease.” Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, Alison de Kruiff, Alex Tyers, A/Prof Stephanie Best, Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

The transformation of the ACMD site continues to impress. It’s exciting to see the physical changes taking place outside and how the building is already establishing a strong street presence. Here’s a first sneak peek of how things are shaping up inside. As you can see, it is definitely all systems go! We are now more than halfway through construction and edging a little closer each day to the building’s completion. Spaces are rapidly evolving. Clearly defined areas for some of the labs and the lecture theatre are emerging as internal walls start to go up and window and door cavities are formed. You can even see the beginnings of the 10-storey atrium. Rising up from the ground level of the 16,500sqm building, the atrium will help bring in lots of natural light and contribute to the building’s open and inviting feel. It will prove an eye-catching feature of the design once complete. We are proud to be supporting local jobs and industry during the important construction phase. Around 90 per cent of the materials used to build the ACMD will be locally sourced. This has included the concrete for the walls and floors, the structural steel for the framework, among other materials. The project will induct over 2000 workers over the course of the build. Australian Catholic University, Bionics Institute, Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), RMIT University, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, St Vincent's Health Australia, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Swinburne University of Technology, University of Melbourne, Kane Constructions Pty Ltd, Denton Corker Marshall

Our next ACMD Link event focuses on biobanking. Jointly hosted by the ACMD and St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research (SVI), this event will highlight how biobanking is a vital source for medical research and can help overcome challenges faced in accessing high-quality live human cells that have been managed using specialised storage. SVI Biobank stores human specimens such as whole blood, plasma, serum and tissue for any disease type. It currently has over 47,000 specimens from more than 1,500 participants. Our speakers include: ·       Dr Katherine Woods – Biobank Co-ordinator, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research ·       Professor Helen Thomas – Head of Islet Biology Group, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research ·       Ms Suraya Roslan – Research Co-ordinator, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Join us to find out more about how SVI Biobank can help progress your research work. Date: Thursday, 27 June 2024 Time: 4:00pm–5:30pm AEDT Format: Hybrid (in-person and online) Venue: SVI, 9 Princes St, Fitzroy (light refreshments will be provided at the in-person event) To register, visit https://bit.ly/3VEuN8t Places are limited to 70 for in-person attendees. If you are attending online, a link will be emailed to you. Australian Catholic University, Bionics Institute, Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA). RMIT University, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Swinburne University of Technology, University of Melbourne

Our fifth ACMD Challenge Seminar is coming up soon! This time, we put the spotlight on delirium.   Delirium is a clinical condition that involves acute disturbance in a person’s consciousness, attention and cognition. It can result in confused thinking, disorientation and hallucinations. It usually comes on fast, within hours, or a few days, and may leave lasting consequences. It can affect people of all ages, but older adults are particularly at risk, especially when unwell and in hospital.   This seminar will highlight current challenges for patients presenting to health services who are experiencing delirium but may go undiagnosed. It will also explore ways to help those who develop delirium during their hospital stay, as well as considering ways to prevent delirium.   Across Australia, over 22,700 cases of hospital-acquired delirium are reported every year. However, there is no consistent process to define if a patient is experiencing delirium on presentation.   There is evidence that suggests if delirium is effectively managed in a timely way, other complications such as falls and pressure injuries are reduced.   Key seminar speakers include: ·        Dr James Mahon, Consultant Geriatrician, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne ·        Antonella Ursini, Behavioural Nurse Consultant, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne ·        Professor Andrew Teodorczuk, President, Delirium Association; Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist; and Director of Clinical Training, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane ·        Penny Casey, Nurse and Research Fellow, Deakin University ·        Dr Eamonn Eeles, Consultant Physician and Geriatrician, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane   Don’t miss your chance to attend. Register now!    Event details:    Date: Tuesday, 18 June 2024 Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm AEST Format: Online via Zoom link (link will be sent on registration) To register: https://bit.ly/3VhFXzV   To learn more about ACMD Challenge and other ACMD programs, visit https://lnkd.in/gvNTHRPg     St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, Safer Care Victoria

The milestones keep coming! We are excited to share that we have just reached another major turning point in the construction of the new ACMD building. Installation of the curtain wall has commenced. The curtain wall is the glass and metal facade that wraps around the building to protect the interior from the external elements and allows work to progress inside. This key stage marks a significant step in the building journey as the site moves from structure works, through to facade installation and then on to the internal fit out, in preparation for when the spaces really come to life. The curtain wall will be made of up of 980 unitised glass panels, each typically measuring around 2m x 4.5m. The panels fit together in modules that are hung from the concrete slab edge on each floor and will encase the full perimeter and height of the building. Kane Constructions Pty Ltd, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Australian Catholic University, Bionics Institute, Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), RMIT University, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Swinburne University of Technology, University of Melbourne, Denton Corker Marshall

The ACMD Challenge program is an important initiative that is helping drive the future of healthcare by identifying potential medical technology solutions to address clinical problems. Launched in 2022, the specially tailored seminar and workshop series aims to uncover unmet health needs and bring together critical teams to advance medtech projects. It brings together multidisciplinary researchers (including scientists, engineers and designers), industry and, sometimes, lived experience consumers, to offer new perspectives to tackle a problem and actively seek out solutions that help chart a path forward. ACMD Challenge is delivered in three stages: Seminar, Workshop, and Advance. Each seminar focuses on a specific clinical need – one that has been identified by clinicians who see the direct impact on their patients’ quality of life. The structured workshop serves as the starting point for forming potential teams tasked with isolating the key areas that could be translated into a research project, which are later evaluated during - the Advance stage. Watch our video to learn more about what ACMD Challenge has to offer and how you can be involved. Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, Safer Care Victoria