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Monash biomedical boost

7 December 2005

Monash will establish a world-leading biomedical research facility with an Australian Research Council grant worth $1.3 million.

The ARC Linkage Infrastructure and Equipment grant of $1.3 million, plus matching funds of $1.2 million from Monash and Melbourne universities, will fund the Biomedical Engineering Sensing and Imaging facility centred at the Clayton campus.

The new facility is funded by the largest of five ARC grants, worth a total of $2.5 million, awarded to Monash last month.

The facility will be operated by the university's Biomedical Engineering Technology Alliance, a body established early this year under the direction of Professor Kerry Hourigan of the Engineering faculty, in collaboration with Professor Warwick Anderson, Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences, in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Services.

Professor Hourigan said the facility would consolidate its position as a national leader in biomedical engineering and strengthen collaboration in biomedical engineering -- a field where micro- and nano-engineering and medical research join forces.

"It will be the only national facility for leading engineering and medical researchers to undertake multidisciplinary research into live and model biological systems," Professor Hourigan said.

"It will foster multidisciplinary teams of medical and engineering researchers to develop innovative processes and technology for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, for patient rehabilitation, and for improving health. It will build on a number of existing research strengths and resources across the participating universities as well as the CSIRO and hospital-based research groups."

The other Monash projects to receive ARC Linkage Infrastructure and Equipment grants were:

  • $220,000 to purchase an infra-red microscope to map new materials including polymers
  • $230,000 to improve respiratory delivery of therapeutic drugs
  • $570,000 to build a state-of-the-art spectroscopy and imaging facility to be used to produce improved pharmaceuticals and nano materials
  • $250,000 to monitor the health of the nation's water systems.

For more information about the biomedical research facility, visit www.mubeta.monash.edu.au.