A year of growth and development has been acknowledged in Burnet Institute’s 2022 Annual Report presented at today’s virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM).
In his Director’s message, Professor Brendan Crabb AC said growth and ambition were realised in 2022 with the execution of the first year of the Burnet 2030 strategy.
“Burnet 2030 is designed to help us progress towards our vision of achieving a more equitable world through better health, with a central theme of making an impact in a rapidly changing world – one where climate and environmental change are now front and centre in global health,” Professor Crabb said.
2022 was a record year for Burnet’s researchers who published 364 scientific papers, many of them focused on infectious diseases.
“The continued presence of COVID-19 and ongoing challenges from other epidemics underscores the importance of our ongoing work in infectious disease,” Professor Crabb noted.
“Our integrated teams of lab-based scientists and field-based workers are making remarkable progress towards the big goals in malaria, hepatitis C and B, tuberculosis, HIV and now COVID-19.”
In her Chair’s message, Ms Mary Padbury said Burnet had positioned itself to take advantage of future opportunities.
“It makes me enormously proud that, after years of concerted effort and support by many, we have successfully positioned ourselves for further growth, independence and, most importantly, enhanced impact in the years ahead.”
She also congratulated the Institute on launching its first Reconciliation Action Plan in May 2022.
“In the months since, we have formalised our commitment to fostering the next generation of research leaders in First Nations health and to increasing employment and career development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at Burnet.”
A feature of the AGM was the announcement of Principal Research Fellow and Co-Head of Burnet’s Global Women's and Newborn's Health Group, Professor Josh Vogel, as the winner of the 2022 Gust McKenzie Medal.
Named in honour of founding directors of the Burnet and Austin Research Institutes, Professor Ian Gust AO and Emeritus Professor Ian McKenzie AM, the Gust-McKenzie Medal is awarded annually to an outstanding mid-career Burnet staff member in recognition of excellence in research and/or public health.
Burnet’s achievements highlighted in the 2022 Annual Report include:
- A record-breaking 364 peer-reviewed publications, with 249 Burnet authors appearing on these publications
- Competitive grants including AUD$10.7 million in MRFF and NHMRC grants and fellowships
- AUD$74.8 million spent on improving health for a more equitable world
- Programs to improve health and change lives in more than 20 countries
- Innovative vaccine research including the identification of new ways to target the malaria parasite
- New partnership with mRNA vaccine manufacturer Moderna through its mRNA Access program to improve the health of communities globally
- Commencement of the Burnet 2030 strategy to progress towards our vision of achieving a more equitable world through better health
- Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) launch with full endorsement from Reconciliation Australia
- Development of the Burnet Diagnostics Initiative (BDI) to support diagnostics product development and enhance translation of point-of-care diagnostics research into practical health solutions
- Ongoing partnerships, including the Australian Institute for Infectious Disease, of which Burnet is a foundation partner.
Professor Crabb thanked Burnet’s staff, partners, donors and supporters for helping to achieve life-changing health research during 2022.
“Thank you to all at Burnet who have made such a positive contribution to improving the health of the communities with whom we work. Your dedication and passion are truly inspiring,” he said.
Find out more about Burnet’s impact and achievements in the 2022 Annual Report.
Please contact reception@burnet.edu.au or ring +61 3 9282 2111 if you would like a printed copy of the 2021 Annual Report or 2021 Annual Financial Report.