Garvan Institute of Medical Research

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Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Darlinghurst
, , ,
Australia
Websitewww.garvan.org.au

The Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an Australian

Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1963 by the Sisters of Charity as a research department of St Vincent's Hospital
, it is now one of Australia's largest medical research institutions, with approximately 750 scientists, students and support staff.

In 2014, the institute became one of only three organisations in the world – and the only one outside the United States[2] – able to sequence the human genome at a base cost below US$1,000 each (the $1,000 genome) when it purchased the next generation of genome-sequencing equipment, which is capable of sequencing 350 genomes a week (18,000 a year).[3]

History

Original Garvan Institute building, opened in 1963.

Funds for its establishment were provided by a centenary hospital appeal by the Sisters of Charity for St Vincent's Hospital. Helen Mills, the largest donor, asked for the centre to be named after her father James Patrick Garvan, a distinguished New South Wales parliamentarian and business leader.[4]

The current Garvan Institute building, completed in 1997, with the Kinghorn Cancer Centre to the left

The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, a A$100 million joint venture between Garvan and St Vincent's Hospital, was opened on 28 August 2012 by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.[5] The centre is named after the Kinghorn Foundation, one of the centre's main benefactors.[6] The Kinghorn Centre for Clinical Genomics (KCCG) was also established in 2012, with a commitment of A$9 million in funding from the Kinghorn Foundation. KCCG is Australia's leading medical research institute in medical genomics and informatics that translates into genome-based personalised medicine. The functions of the KCCG include high quality 'next generation' genome sequencing and diagnostic services.[7] In 2014 it was announced that the Garvan Institute would be one of the world's first organisations to purchase the next generation of genome sequencing equipment – to be located in the KCCG – capable of sequencing 350 genomes a week (18,000 a year) at a base cost below US$1,000 each.[8][9]

Directors

Former Executive Director, Professor John Mattick, pictured in 2014.
Order Incumbent Start date End date Time in office Notes
1
1966 1969 2–3 years
2 Leslie Lazarus 1969 1990 20–21 years
3 John Shine 1990 2012 21–22 years
4 John Mattick 2012 31 May 2018 (2018-05-31) 5–6 years
5 Chris Goodnow 1 June 2018 (2018-06-01) 22 July 2022 (2022-07-22) 5 years, 331 days
6 Benjamin Kile 27 April 2023 (2023-04-27) incumbent 1 year, 0 days

Other notable staff

See also

References

  1. ^ "Leadership". Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Illumina Introduces the HiSeq X(TM) Ten Sequencing System". Press Release. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  3. ^ Herper, Matthew. "The $1,000 Genome Arrives -- For Real, This Time". magazine. Forbes. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Garvan, James Patrick (1843–1896)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  5. ^ "PM opens new Sydney cancer centre". News Website. 9MSN. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  6. ^ Turner, Brook. "No-regrets Kinghorn gives away $300m". News Website. Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  7. ^ "The Kinghorn Foundation - Medical Research". Corporate Website. Kinghorn Foundation. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  8. ^ "Australians can map their genomes for $1,000 after institute buys world-first machine". News Website. ABC. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  9. ^ Medew, Julia (15 January 2014). "Australian researchers hail new cost-effective gene sequencing machine". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 February 2014.

External links