Our Research
The IMVS continues a long tradition of research excellence, creating outcomes of world-class significance. Over the past three years, the SA Scientist of the Year title has been won by IMVS researchers twice, an indication of the quality of our people.
The IMVS researches diseases and disorders ranging from blood, breast and colon cancer, bone fractures, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, hepatitis, infectious diseases and inherited (genetic) disorders.
Research is conducted at the IMVS's Centre for Cancer Biology (CCB) and the Hanson Institute, both based alongside the Royal Adelaide Hospital, as well as at the Women's and Children's Hospital and the Flinders Medical Centre.
The IMVS is also an internationally recognised centre of excellence in key areas of research and specialist diagnostic and reference services. Our mission is to develop, validate and provide the most advanced services that enable clinicians to improve patient care. IMVS translational research, through the combination of clinical and diagnostic services, is both nationally and internationally recognised.
The 2010 listing of published research supported by the IMVS is now available.
An overview of our research areas is available below:
Centre for Cancer Biology
The Centre for Cancer Biology (CCB) studies the fundamental causes of cancer in order to find new ways to prevent and treat the disease. The CCB is a hub for innovative science, leading to breakthrough therapies achieving tangible outcomes for cancer patients, through internationally recognised cancer research 'excellence'.
The translation of new discoveries into clinical practice is strengthened by the co-localisation of the laboratories within a single centre, providing close proximity to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and its clinical resources, and the University of Adelaide, with which it shares key research facilities.
Co-Director of the CCB, Professor Angel Lopez, was jointly named as the 2010 South Australian Scientist of the Year for his commitment to excellence and contribution to science and research.
The Hanson Institute
The Hanson Institute provides facilities for medical researchers on the Royal Adelaide Hospital campus, including staff of the IMVS, RAH and the University of Adelaide. Research is largely funded by national and international research awards, but the IMVS and RAH also provide significant infrastructure support to ensure the success of the research.
The Lysosomal Diseases Research Unit (LDRU)
The Lysosomal Diseases Research Unit (LDRU) is world-renowned for its research capabilities and the translation of research findings into state-of-the-art diagnostic services and therapeutics for genetically inherited disorders that affect children. These disorders have devastating clinical effects leading to progressive destruction of the brain and other organs. The Unit is the largest multidisciplinary group researching lysosomal storage disorders both nationally and internationally.
Head of the
The Unit developed the first-ever FDA-approved treatments for these disorders, which have been marketed worldwide. This work has improved clinical outcomes for patients worldwide and generates multi-million dollar royalty returns for South Australia.
In 2009, Professor Hopwood was also honoured with both the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) Clunies Ross Award and the CSL Florey Medal for his life-long work and achievements in lysosomal disease diagnosis and treatment.
Neurogenetics Research Program
The Neurogenetics Research Program seeks to further our understanding of human brain function through the identification of genes and characterisation of their naturally occurring mutations implicated in various disorders of the brain.
Identification of genes and understanding of molecular mechanisms leading to intellectual disabilities, autisms and some epilepsies represents a challenge of significant medical importance. With a broad range of state-of-the-art human genetics and genomics skills, the Neurogenetics team has discovered or contributed to the discovery of more than 40 different genes.
Led by Professor Jozef Gecz, the Neurogenetics Research Program is complemented by a large number of national and international clinical and basic science collaborators, and is currently funded by NHMRC Program and Project Grants and Senior Research Fellowships, a MS McLeod Fellowship and grants from the WCH Foundation and the Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation.
The four key areas of focus are bioinformatics capability (led by Dr M Corbett), basic cell and molecular biology (led by Drs C Shoubridge and L Jolly), animal models (led by Drs M Corbett and C Shoubridge) and molecular neuroscience techniques (led by Dr L Jolly).
SA Pathology Veterinary Division
The SA Pathology Veterinary Division provides veterinary support for the IMVS as well as supplying a wide range of preclinical services, biological products and laboratory animals to the research community. Located at Gilles Plains, the division also houses the Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility (LARIF), created for Australian and international researchers as a joint initiative of IMVS, University of Adelaide and University of South Australia, and the Australian Phenomics Network (APN), established under the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
Reference Laboratories
State Red Cell Reference Laboratory
The IMVS Haematology division manages the State Red Cell Reference Laboratory for the resolution of difficult compatibility testing problems and the investigation of the immune haemolysis referred by other laboratories.
National Reference Laboratory
The National Referral Laboratory, located at the Women's and Children's Hospital campus, provides a national and international diagnostic service for a range of inherited metabolic disorders, focussing predominantly on the lysosomal storage disorders and peroxisomal disorders.
The National Referral Laboratory provides unique expertise, particularly in prenatal diagnosis, with samples referred from Australasia, South-East Asia, the Pacific basin and beyond.
Mycology
The IMVS Mycology Unit (situated at Women's and Children's Hospital) is recognised by the South Australian Health Department as a State and National Reference Centre for Medical Mycology. The unit provides specialist diagnostic and reference services, teaching programs, and research activities pertaining to Medical Mycology.
Tuberculosis
The IMVS is recognised as a WHO Supranational TB Reference Laboratory, providing laboratory and consultative services to Indonesia, East Timor, Solomon Islands and Vietnam.
Australian Salmonella Reference Centre
The Australian Salmonella Reference Centre is the national reference laboratory for Salmonella in Australia. The laboratory has an international reputation for its reference function and also provides a high quality serotyping and phage typing service for Salmonella. The laboratory holds data on Australian Salmonella isolates dating back to the 1940s and is an important source of information on Salmonella in Australia. Data are published in monthly and annual reports.