Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI)

Patrick Skippen and Kerrin Palazzi from our Data Management team attended the 2024 Australia New Zealand REDCap User Day at Monash University last week, which brought together REDCap administrators and users together from across Australia and New Zealand to hear about creative uses, data management, data governance, and survey design best practices, among many other topics. HMRI Senior Data Manager Kerrin Palazzi presented on data visualisation in REDCap and PowerBI. Senior Health Informatician, Shaun Grady, also followed this with a session at eResearch Australia on strategies and solutions for effective researcher upskilling. It's wonderful to see the team showcasing their amazing expertise far and wide, bringing back more knowledge to further support our research community with their data science and statistical support needs. 📷Photos by: Michelle McFarlane - MMP studio

A big thank you to everyone who was part of our Art Series Exhibition last weekend, with a special thanks to the 50 talented, local artists who contributed their art to the exhibition to help us raise important funds for medical research here in the Hunter. We're excited to announce that $72,000 was raised from the events, art auction, and direct donations. Huge thanks to the event sponsors HIC Services, Markey Insurance and Risk, The Brenda Clouten Memorial Scholarship, and Entire Concrete for their support and Amy-Lea Pettigrew, Frances Crampton, Vicki Woods from the HMRI Foundation and artists Clare O’Hara and Kiasmin Burrell for coordinating an amazing event. Read more about the event here https://okt.to/gafOFh 📷by EMG Photography

Year after year we are blown away by the high calibre of researchers here in our community. As we approach HMRI's 2024 Awards Night, we're pleased to announce the finalists for the 2024 HMRI Award for Early Career Research. Congratulations to: ⚛️ Dr Elissa Elvidge, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Newcastle and a member of HMRI's Immune Health Research program, Dr Elvidge has over a decade of experience in Aboriginal health and public health research. Dr Elvidge is an established leader in cultural safety and co-design research. Dr Elvidge’s PhD developed a cultural safety framework measuring cultural safety from the Aboriginal patient perspective. Since publication, the framework has been adopted locally and globally. ⚛️ Dr Joshua Fisher, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Newcastle and a member of HMRI's Mothers and Babies Research program, Dr Fisher's work focuses on mitochondrial dysfunction in the placenta and uncovering the mechanisms driving fetal growth restriction (FGR) and stillbirth. He is committed to transitioning fundamental research towards tangible health improvements that catalyse real-world change. With no currently known cause or treatment for FGR, his work exploring novel genetic biomarkers and examining mitochondrial-targeted therapeutics has led to significant findings and enhanced knowledge. ⚛️Dr Carlos Garcia-Esperon, a stroke neurologist at Hunter New England Local Health District, conjoint senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle, and a member of HMRI's Heart and Stroke Research Program, Dr Garcia-Esperon's research work has played a major role in transforming stroke care in regional areas through the delivery of acute telestroke services across NSW. This service has provided 24/7 care to over 2 million people since 2013 and was also the first program in the world to demonstrate the benefits of using perfusion imaging in rural hospitals. ⚛️Dr Luiza Steffens Reinhardt, a Hunter New England Local Health District Research Fellow and member of HMRI's Cancer Detection and Therapies Research program, Dr Steffens Reinhardt's innovative work addresses critical clinical challenges in cancer. Her role in the health district enables her to focus on translational genomics, where she applies cutting-edge DNA sequencing techniques to improve cancer diagnosis and patient outcomes. Her research on novel biomarkers and therapies has gained both national and international attention. The winner will be announced at the HMRI Awards Night on Friday 22 November.

We're thrilled to recognise our 2024 Hunter Children's Research Foundation award winners for their groundbreaking projects in children’s health 👏 🎖️ Dr Jamie Bryant - Addressing unmet needs in pediatric oncology 🎖️ Dr Jacinta Martin - Understanding PFAS exposure impacts on child health 🎖️ Dr Heather Murray - Advancing precision treatment for pediatric leukaemia 🎖️ Dr Guy Cameron - Developing innovative models for ear disease research Plus, five HMRI researchers received HCRF CARE Awards for outstanding contributions to child health, with support from Newcastle Permanent, nib Group, The Wests Group Australia and JSA Group. ✨ Achievement in Research Award - Tracy Dudding-Byth AM ✨ Encouragement for Research Award - Gabriela Martins, PhD ✨ Research Mentor Award - Nikki Verrills ✨ Achievement in Quality Improvement Award: Kelvin Kong AM and Eura Lim, John Hunter Children’s Hospital Audiology and ENT Outpatients Congrats to all our award recipients! Thank you for your dedication to improving health outcomes for children and families in the Hunter and beyond 🌈

We had so much fun 'sipping on science' celebrating Australian Society for Medical Research Medical Research Week 🌞 🧪 Chatting health and science with our community 🤸♀️ Stretching and strengthening with free pilates ☕ And helping kickstart everyone's day with a free coffee at the beach!

Should we live to 150? 🤔 That was the question HMRI health and medical researchers debated against at this year's Hunter Innovation Festival Check out all the highlights, laughs and have your say below - should we live to 150?! 👇

A big thank you to the Markey Group, The Brenda Clouten Memorial Scholarship, and Entire Concrete for supporting this weekend's HMRI Art Series Exhibition. We still have some tickets left if you wish to come along and not only support HMRI but support our local art community here in the Hunter. - Purchase tickets for Saturday's opening night here https://okt.to/WJCm8N - Purchase tickets for Sunday's Long Lunch event here https://okt.to/7atxVY - Bid in the online silent auction here https://okt.to/VfF9pH

One of our team members, Andrea Coda, contributed to an exciting study on a digital health intervention, InteractiveClinics, designed for children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). This innovative tool helps manage medication adherence, pain levels, and physical activity, supporting integrated care for young patients. Check out the findings on usability and potential improvements for this game-changing app! #DigitalHealth #PediatricRheumatology #JuvenileArthritis #HealthInnovation #Research

HER2-positive breast cancer is a type of breast cancer that accounts for 20% of all cases, affecting around 5,000 Australians each year. Around 90% of cases are detected early and can be treated with chemotherapy and targeted therapy, but around 20% of early-stage patients will experience a recurrence, which is often incurable and life-threatening University of Newcastle and HMRI cancer detection and therapy researchers have recently made a significant breakthrough in HER2-positive breast cancer using a repurposed drug. "There is no known cure as yet but our research is showing very promising results with a repurposed cancer drug that is being directed to a highly specific target" This drug is currently being tested pre-clinically and the researchers are validating their results with oncologist collaborators. This research, which has taken two years so far, was initially funded through the generosity of HMRI donors as part of a HMRI Philanthropy grant. Find out more here https://okt.to/NTqDvf #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth

What a fabulous morning it was to Sip on Science 🌞 Thank you to everyone who joined us at Dixon Park Beach to celebrate Australian Society for Medical Research Medical Research Week! Our talented medical researchers from University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Local Health District were on hand to chat a range of health areas including infection, surgery, infection, asthma, mental health, and more – giving our one million community members direct access to the latest evidence-based health insights. We saw an incredible turnout for the free Grace Movement Pilates classes, with class-goers of all levels embracing the opportunity to stretch and strengthen. We want to thank #ABCNewcastle for the live broadcast and amplifying the reach of our event and our research. Thanks also to local cafes Sunnyboy Kiosk and Dickies for keeping us all caffeinated ☕ We look forward to running more events that help support informed, healthy, and happy communities.