This issue - AMA Tasmania

News from
FOuNDATION PROVIDING OVER
$500,000 FOR RESEARCH IN 2007
The Research Foundation will be providing
its largest ever funding pool for local medical
research during the course of this year.
The funding provided will continue to build
the scale of the State’s research infrastructure,
contribute to increasing the research profiles
of a number of senior investigators, and
strengthen the ties between the Foundation,
the University’s Medical School and the
Menzies Research Institute.
During 2007 the Foundation’s three postdoctoral
research fellowships will be
continued, with significant benefits to research
in the areas of Parkinson’s disease and cystic
fibrosis. Four National Health and Medical
Researchers Jo & Charles
16 TA S T a l k A P R I L 2 0 0 7
Research level projects will also be provided
with support to continue their work and
pursuit of higher funding, as will a number of
new projects involving clinical research at the
hospital, and a starter project looking at the
role of vitamin D in auto-immune diseases.
The Foundation will also be formalising
arrangements with our colleagues at the
Menzies Institute through the establishment
of employment relationships between the
Foundation and the Institute. The Menzies will
employ and supervise researchers employed
directly by funding from the Research
Foundation, thereby streamlining the processes
for the conduct and monitoring of first class
medical and scientific research in Tasmania.
We are also moving quickly to establish another
two post-doctoral research fellowships of three
years duration through the generous support
of a Tasmanian family. This is an exciting and
very welcome development - more on this as
the details are put in place.
The Royal Hobart Hospital exists for two
simple purposes, to raise the profile of medical
research in the Tasmanian community, and to
raise the funds to ensure that such research
can continue unabated in the pursuit of
improved treatment of patients in Tasmanian
hospitals and beyond.
If you would like to know how you can play
a small part in supporting our work, please
see the brief article below, or give us a call on
6222 8088 and we can provide assistance.
DOCTORS FOR RESEARCH?
As mentioned in the last issue of TasTalk, the
Foundation has written to every doctor in
Southern Tasmania, seeking modest support
for our direct contributions scheme.
Thankyou to those who have responded
quickly and become members of RSVP - the
Foundation’s Research Support Volunteers’ Plan.
Please take a moment to review the letter we
sent you, and if for some reason you didn’t
receive yours, please let us know and we’ll
provide you with the necessary paperwork
to bring you into this affordable and very
rewarding direct support of the Foundation’s
ongoing work.
Tony Reidy
Executive Director