 | The Centre for Thrombosis and Vascular Research was formed by staff of the Departments of Haematology and Cardiovascular Medicine at Prince of Wales/Prince Henry Hospitals. In 1992, the Centre was afforded by the Vice Chancellor the status and structure of an UNSW Research Centre. There has been growth over the period 1992-2002 with provision of additional laboratory space in the School of Pathology, UNSW, institutional funding from South Eastern Laboratory Services (SEALS), and with the bulk of infrastructure support from NSW Department of Health Resarch and Development Infrastructure Grants Program since its inception in 1997. Events in the past two years provided both opportunity and reason for the Centre to restructure with a substantially broader role in vascular biology research nationally. The relocation to the Centre of three highly regarded and senior scientists bringing with them in excess of twenty scientific staff and students;
the award to the Centre of three major Research Grants in association with a network of collaborating laboratories in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne:- NSW Cancer Council Program $1M over five years starting in 2000;
- NHMRC New Program $10M over five years starting in 2002;
- NHRMC New Program $7.125M over five years starting in 2003. The close association with our collaborators in the John Curtin School of Medical Research (ANU) and the Department of Biochemistry Monash University with common funding and goals, suggested the existing Centre as an appropriate core to build on. The restructured Centre for Vascular Research (CVR) has become an Australian Research Centre formed with express aims to build on existing programs, to facilitate collaboration and to attract the highest quality postdoctoral scientists and doctoral students. The development of intellectual property has become a high priority with CVR, now holding 37 patents. Ongoing partnerships with industry include Johnson and Johnson Research Australia, Institute of Drug Technology P/L, Chugai, Japan and Progen Industries (ANU site). Two new spin off companies have been incorporated, Cystemix P/L (Unisearch, UNSW) and Cryptome P/L (Monash) to develop promising IP. The standing of the CVR is demonstrated by excellent achievements of individuals and by collective recognition. Notable personal highlights are;
the 2001 Health Minister's Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research to Philip Hogg
the 2001 GlaxoSmithKline Australia Award for Research Excellence to Philip Hogg
the 2001 AMGEN Medical Researcher Award to Levon Khachigian
the 2002 Gottschalk Medal of the Australian Academy of Science to Levon Khachigian
the 2000 and 2002 Research Awards from the National Heart Foundation to Roland Stocker
promotions within the NHMRC Fellowship scheme to Philip Hogg, Levon Khachigian and Roland Stocker
Viertel Fellowship to Mark Hulett (JCSMR ANU)
a series of other scholarships and fellowships at more junior levels to scientists in the Centre.
Acknowledgement of the collective standing of CVR is most tangible; in the award of two New Program Grants by NHMRC. A major criterion for Program Award is genuine international recognition. Holding two New NHMRC Program Grants is uncommon in Research Institutions across Australia;
in the manuscripts published in journals of the highest standing including Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Immunology, EMBO Journal, Journal of Clinical Investigation and Journal of Experimental Medicine;
in the awards from organizations outside Australia including the Wellcome Trust (UK), The NHMRC of Singapore, the JS McDonnell Foundation (US), the NIH (to Michael Berndt, Monash), in addition to the highly competitive Australian Cancer Research Foundation for capital works;
in involvement in the organization of major national and international scientific meetings, editorial boards and considerable invited contribution to peer review and activities of learned societies;
in numerous invitations to present at international meetings of high calibre.
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