Image: Professor James Beeson, Head of Malaria Research: Immunity, Vaccines and New Therapies Laboratory

Burnet Institute researchers will play leading roles in a new NHMRC $2.5 million Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) in Malaria Elimination, announced by Federal Health Minister The Hon. Greg Hunt MP.

To be based at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, the CRE will accelerate new drugs to treat malaria and train the next generation of experts in Australia and overseas.

Burnet’s Head of Malaria Research Professor James Beeson, and Deputy program Director for Maternal and Child Health, Associate Professor Freya Fowkes are among 10 Chief Investigators.

Laboratory Head Dr Jack Richards, and Senior Research Fellow Dr Leanne Robinson have been appointed Associate Investigators.

Associate Professor Fowkes is excited about the new initiative and the opportunity for Australia to take a leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region to help our neighbours eliminate malaria.

“The CRE will enable us to innovate, develop and implement community-based and community-delivered malaria treatment and surveillance strategies for Myanmar, PNG and other countries in the region,” Associate Professor Fowkes said.

“Importantly the CRE will maximise the impact of our research by enabling us to translate findings into relevant national and regional malaria control and elimination policies through links with national and regional National Malaria Control Programs and stakeholders."

CRE leader Professor Stephen Rogerson of the University of Melbourne and Doherty Institute, said priorities would include developing better tests and drugs, and understanding more about drug resistant parasites.

“This centre will bring together many of Australia’s leading malaria researchers, as well as industry partners such as CSIRO,” Professor Rogerson said.

“As well, it will train up a new generation of experts here and overseas in disease elimination, whose skills will be transferable to other challenges, like HIV, TB, Zika virus and influenza.”

Chief Investigators

• Professor Stephen Rogerson (University of Melbourne, Doherty Institute)
• Professor Ric Price (Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin)
• Professor Julie Simpson (University of Melbourne)
• Professor Nick Anstey (Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin)
• Professor James Beeson (Burnet Institute, University of Melbourne)
• Professor Archie Clements (Australian National University)
• Associate Professor Freya Fowkes (Burnet Institute)
• Professor James McCarthy (QIMR Berghofer)
• Associate Professor James McCaw (University of Melbourne)
• Professor Ivo Mueller (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute)

Associate Investigators

• Associate Professor Alyssa Barry (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute)
• Jeanne Poespoprodjo (University of Gadja Mada, Indonesia)
• Dr Jack Richards (Burnet Institute)
• Leann Tilley (University of Melbourne, Bio21)
• Dr Leanne Robinson (Burnet Institute, WEHI, PNGIMR)
• Moses Laman (PNG Institute of Medical Research)
• Dr Sarah Auburn (Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin)
• Dr Timothy William (Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia)
• Dr Zaw Lin (Department of Public Health, Myanmar)