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QCMRI has launched today

Wednesday, 18 November 2009 13:56

From today Queensland will now have its own dedicated paediatric medical research institute, providing exciting new hope for the State’s sick and injured children. Hailed as a major boost for the State, the Queensland Children’s Medical Research Institute (QCMRI) will solely focus on solving the major health issues affecting our children and young adults.

Research will be conducted at the QCMRI in areas including respiratory medicine, cerebral palsy, oncology, infectious diseases and burns.

QCMRI Chairman Colin Ryan said the Institute, located in the Royal Children’s Hospital at Herston, would provide research and teaching opportunities to attract and retain leading researchers in children’s health.

“Research will be conducted across a wide spectrum of medical specialties including childhood cancer and virus detection,” Mr Ryan said.

“Already amazing work is happening, for example in the area of burns, where they are hoping to recreate human skin from a patient’s cells in the hope of eventually eliminating the need for skin grafts.

“In a world-first, QCMRI researchers have identified a protein that allows unborn children to heal a burn without scarring. A trial is now underway to use this protein to help children’s burns heal faster.”

Research has also identified new and disturbing trends in childhood burns injuries in Queensland through exposure to everyday household devices such as hair straighteners; exercise equipment, particularly treadmills; and vehicle exhausts.

Aspley resident 14-year-old Madaline Lane, who suffered extensive burns after falling off a motorcycle three months ago, is one of the many Queensland children whose lives may be enhanced by such medical research.

In August this year Madaline underwent treatment at the Royal Children’s Hospital and is on the road to recovery thanks to the medical support from the staff.

“It was heartbreaking to see Madaline in so much pain during the initial stage of the treatment. The hospital staff were extremely helpful which made the process so much easier for me. It’s great to see the QCMRI focus on burns research to help kids like Madaline recover quicker,” said Madaline’s mum Debbie Lane.

Mr Ryan, also Chairman of the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, said the QCMRI was the result of years of planning by the Foundation, the Royal Children’s Hospital and Queensland Health.

“QCMRI has potential now to attract substantial funding, based on similar interstate examples such as the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth,” he said.

“Over the past 20 years, the RCH Foundation has provided approximately $70 million in grants for medical research. All of the research projects currently funded by the RCHF will be transferred to the Institute and the Foundation will then continue to provide funding for the research grant programs.

“What’s more exciting for sick Queensland kids, is that as an independent medical research institute, we will be eligible to seek external competitive grant funding both nationally and internationally.”

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