WORLD-LEADING RESEARCH
THE Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research conducts innovative research into the diseases that most affect our community including cancer (solid tumour), heart disease (vascular system, stroke, etc), diabetes type 1 (genetic and why), neuro-muscular conditions (eg MS) and rare genetic diseases, Palm Beach Rotarians heard on Wednesday night.
It concentrates on forms of these diseases that are hard to cure and has come up with innovations and treatments being adopted worldwide.
Former school teacher and breast cancer survivor Judi Lane was so impressed with the place that she started fundraising and working as a volunteer and wound up as a paid employee -- the organisation's community education manager.
When she returned to Rockingham for last week's Palm Beach Rotary meeting, it was a return to one of her old stamping grounds. Many moons (and jobs) ago, she taught at the Rockingham Beach Primary School -- and she got a small cheer when she said she was a Dockers fan.
It concentrates on forms of these diseases that are hard to cure and has come up with innovations and treatments being adopted worldwide.
Former school teacher and breast cancer survivor Judi Lane was so impressed with the place that she started fundraising and working as a volunteer and wound up as a paid employee -- the organisation's community education manager.
When she returned to Rockingham for last week's Palm Beach Rotary meeting, it was a return to one of her old stamping grounds. Many moons (and jobs) ago, she taught at the Rockingham Beach Primary School -- and she got a small cheer when she said she was a Dockers fan.
The Harry Perkins Institute is different because it combines specialists with a wide variety of skills working side by side, she said.
Its highly skilled doctors, scientists, biostatisticians, pathologists, and epidemiologists work together with cutting-edge technologies to make new discoveries and translate this new knowledge into more effective treatments and cures.
“We are fiercely West Australian – homegrown but with the world impact," Ms. Lane said. “We collaborate with 97 cities around the world on six continents.”
Harry Perkins researchers working on cancer are tying together different therapies and looking at cancer in a totally different way. Current therapies destroy not only cancer cells but healthy cells as well, she said. These researchers are working on trying to turn cancer cells into healthy cells instead — "They are pioneering new drugs," she said.
Nowadays there is another 95% five-year plus survival rate for breast cancer patients, Ms. Lane said.
But there has been no improvement in brain cancer in 30 years and this is the biggest killer of children. So, much effort is being applied to sticky areas like this.
Associate Professor Juliana Hamzah -- working in the Cardiovascular Science and Diabetes Program -- has developed a drug that stops arteries from closing up in peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Dr. Brendan Kennedy -- who heads a complex lab at the institute and is also a UWA senior research fellow in electrical, electronic, and computer engineering -- has developed a way of hugely speeding up test results from theatre samples.
Yet another researcher is looking at using bee venom against cancer – it has worked on tomato plant tumours and is being considered for triple-negative breast cancer which may not respond to treatments effectively against other forms of
Its highly skilled doctors, scientists, biostatisticians, pathologists, and epidemiologists work together with cutting-edge technologies to make new discoveries and translate this new knowledge into more effective treatments and cures.
“We are fiercely West Australian – homegrown but with the world impact," Ms. Lane said. “We collaborate with 97 cities around the world on six continents.”
Harry Perkins researchers working on cancer are tying together different therapies and looking at cancer in a totally different way. Current therapies destroy not only cancer cells but healthy cells as well, she said. These researchers are working on trying to turn cancer cells into healthy cells instead — "They are pioneering new drugs," she said.
Nowadays there is another 95% five-year plus survival rate for breast cancer patients, Ms. Lane said.
But there has been no improvement in brain cancer in 30 years and this is the biggest killer of children. So, much effort is being applied to sticky areas like this.
Associate Professor Juliana Hamzah -- working in the Cardiovascular Science and Diabetes Program -- has developed a drug that stops arteries from closing up in peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Dr. Brendan Kennedy -- who heads a complex lab at the institute and is also a UWA senior research fellow in electrical, electronic, and computer engineering -- has developed a way of hugely speeding up test results from theatre samples.
Yet another researcher is looking at using bee venom against cancer – it has worked on tomato plant tumours and is being considered for triple-negative breast cancer which may not respond to treatments effectively against other forms of
breast cancer.
The Harry Perkins Institute was established in 1998 as the WA Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR. It was a collaboration between the University of Western Australia (UWA), Royal Perth Hospital, and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
Fremantle Hospital became a partner in 2003.
Two UWA professors, Peter Klinken and Peter Leedman envisaged it and Professor Klinken was its first director.
Bruce Rock farmer Harry Perkins -- the chairman of Wesfarmers -- played a key role in its establishment and was appointed as the first chairman — until his death in 2002. Wesfarmers provided an initial donation of $5 million and has been the institute's major sponsor ever since.
But Mr. Perkis also had a genius for extracting money from government coffers, Ms. Lane said.
In October 2013, WAIMR became the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research to honour his legacy.
The Harry Perkins Institute was established in 1998 as the WA Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR. It was a collaboration between the University of Western Australia (UWA), Royal Perth Hospital, and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
Fremantle Hospital became a partner in 2003.
Two UWA professors, Peter Klinken and Peter Leedman envisaged it and Professor Klinken was its first director.
Bruce Rock farmer Harry Perkins -- the chairman of Wesfarmers -- played a key role in its establishment and was appointed as the first chairman — until his death in 2002. Wesfarmers provided an initial donation of $5 million and has been the institute's major sponsor ever since.
But Mr. Perkis also had a genius for extracting money from government coffers, Ms. Lane said.
In October 2013, WAIMR became the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research to honour his legacy.