Annual Report 2004, Baker Heart Research Institute
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
HealthHealth meansthe meansthe worldworld tous. tous. 66.320 23.50 0 0 23.50 66.320 baker heart research institute annual report 2004 MISSION Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide and is responsible for over 40% of deaths in Australia each year.The risk factors for cardiovascular disease are highly prevalent in the Australian community with 80% of all adults having one of the following risk factors: Smoking Inactivity High blood pressure Obesity Diabetes Depression Social isolation High Cholesterol At the Baker, our mission is to reduce death and disability from cardiovascular disease.We achieve this through activities ranging from research at the laboratory bench to clinical trials, patient care and education. The major areas of research at the Baker are: • The risk factors and prevention of heart disease and stroke • Coronary disease, heart attack and sudden coronary death • Heart failure • Diabetes and its complications The Baker Heart Research Institute is funded from a diverse range of government and private sources.We remain grateful for the continuing support of the corporate sector, trusts, foundations and individual donations. 2 CONTENTS ABOUT THE BAKER 4 A WORD FROM OUR PATRON 4 PRESIDENT’S REPORT 5 DIRECTOR’S REPORT 8 ORGANISATION STRUCTURE 11 INTERNATIONAL SCIENTISTS 12 SCIENTIFIC OVERVIEW HEART - Cardiology Division 14 BRAIN - Cardiovascular Neuroscience Division 15 VESSELS - Vascular Division 17 CORE FACILITIES 19 GRADUATING STUDENTS 22 COMMERCIALISATION & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 24 THE BAKER RESEARCH FOUNDATION 25 BOARD OF MANAGEMENT 26 BAKER SUPPORTERS 27 STAFF 28-31 FINANCIAL REPORT 32-34 PUBLICATIONS 35-38 SUPPORTING THE BAKER 39 www.baker.edu.au 3 ABOUT THE BAKER The Baker leads the fight against now take for granted. For example, Baker The Baker is a World Health heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is scientists proved that exercise lowers blood Organisation Centre for Australia’s leading health problem as over pressure and they discovered the plasma Cardiovascular Research & Training. 3.6 million Australians suffered from protein that distinguishes between Type I Although we are one of the best cardiovascular disease in 2001. Over the and Type II diabetes. In the future, it is the research facilities in the world, we last decade the prevalence of Baker’s vision to eradicate heart disease. recognise that the fight starts at cardiovascular disease rose by more than The Baker boasts 3 major divisions, home. The Baker is actively 18%, and at a cost of 7 billion dollars 24 research laboratories and more involved in the local community each year, it demands 11% of Australia’s than 220 staff. We focus on both basic and sets it sights on becoming total health care expenditure. and clinical research, a unique and a household name. effective combination. By operating the country’s most During the last 78 years we comprehensive heart research program The major areas of research at the have come a long way, but still our scientists are considered to be Baker are: have much more to achieve. amongst the very best. The Baker is • The risk factors and prevention of It’s the expertise and enthusiasm of recognised internationally as one of the heart disease all our dedicated staff members that world’s leading medical research centres. • Coronary disease, heart attack and will ensure we continue to make a sudden coronary death difference. After all, health means In the past, Baker scientists have • Heart failure the world to us. discovered the medical knowledge that we • Diabetes and its complications A WORD FROM OUR PATRON Sir Laurence Muir I was fortunate to be introduced to the I remember with gratitude my first stress magazine about pets as therapy. With the Alfred Hospital and soon after the test on Garry Jennings’ (current Director help of my son-in-law Dr Edward Donelan Baker Heart Research Institute by Sir of the Baker) bicycle. Urged on by then and some other vets we set up the Delta William Philip and John Habersberger Director Paul Korner, I pushed toward Society to encourage pets as companions. over 40 years ago. For me it has been my limit only to have the machinery go an inspiring and stimulating experience haywire. Garry stopped the proceedings, Dr Warwick Anderson, then at the Baker, to serve with intelligent and highly did lots of chart analysis and then wired spent 2 years in researching the effect of motivated scientists and administrators me up for 24 hours. companion animals on our heart patients. who are dedicated to solving health The results were very favourable and the problems and helping others. Thanks to his care and concern everything veterinarians are continuing to alert the settled down and there have been no community to these advantages. The skill of our research workers has further ‘incidents’ in my 80 years. earned for the Baker a world wide The Baker is not only a world leader in reputation and the partnership with the On the journey back from the UK about medical research; it is peopled and led Alfred is a model in applied research. 20 years ago I read in the QANTAS by warm and caring Australians. 4 PRESIDENT’S REPORT Norman O’Bryan I retire from the Baker Board this year buildings, some of which were encourages scientific and social and so this will be my last President’s constructed in the very early part of interaction, because people can see one Report. I thought I should do something the 20th Century when the Baker was another and the spaces are large a little different and take the founded. The “Old Baker Building”, enough to enable research partnerships opportunity to review not only aspects as our former home is now officially and collaborations to form naturally, of the year just past, but also to give called, was a quaint and serviceable as they should do in an organisation you a few thoughts about the Baker’s collection of buildings which did not dedicated to the pursuit of scientific progress in the last decade, where I inspire anyone by their architectural and medical discovery in all of its think it is now and where I hope it will qualities and did not provide a multifarious dimensions. It is a perfect be heading in the future. stimulating or efficient working environment in which to indulge one environment. One of the ‘Old Baker’ of humankind’s greatest aspirations: Annual Reports are hard work for all building’s chief drawbacks, as I the pleasure of finding things out. involved, but a very necessary discipline perceived it, was the fact that it did not which is sensibly imposed upon most encourage collaboration of any sort Despite the fact that we are now well public organisations so that they may because all of the laboratories were and truly settled into this still very new render an account of themselves, both physically constrained and quite home, I think the challenges for the financially and in terms of performance, separate from one another. I regarded Baker remain essentially the same as by explaining what they have been it as a key priority to get the Baker those which I identified when I first doing in the past year and what they housed in better premises because I became associated with the Institute. plan to do in the near future. But it is have always believed in the motive However, our approaches to managing also a good idea from time to time to power of architecture to inspire human and overcoming them are now quite take a wider perspective on the creativity and productivity. There is different. I am pleased to say that I organisation and I shall endeavour to do ample physical and intellectual regard our approach to problem solving this in some measure here. The space evidence of this in Egypt, Greece, and strategic planning for the Baker’s allotted for me in this report is Rome, China and all across Europe. future as much more sophisticated and insufficient to give you a full survey of efficient than it was when I first all of the Baker’s activities, and anyway Probably the most exciting event that arrived. This is due in no small measure Garry Jennings will tell you about most has occurred in my time on the Baker to the combined talents and of the exciting happenings of 2004 and Board is the planning, construction and professionalism of Garry Jennings and what they portend for the future. the move into our new building. It is our senior scientists, Erica Hughes and the ideal home for an Institute like the her administration team and our Board When I first arrived at the Baker in the Baker in every respect. It is open, bright, members. This is my last public late 1980’s it was located in its old cheery and uplifting as soon as you opportunity to applaud them, which I home in Baker Lane in quite worn-out walk in the door. It also actively do wholeheartedly. www.baker.edu.au 5 Resources additional monies which would provide Tsunami, but because that salvation The most valuable and the scarcest a pool of discretionary funds in the cannot be illustrated in the graphic and resource for the Australian medical hands of the Director to devote to dramatic fashion that occurred in the research community is money. When projects which for various reasons do Tsunami Appeal, it does not resonate I arrived at the Baker it was a block not attract sufficient funding from with the Australian public sufficiently funded Institute of the NHMRC and public sources. It is of the very essence loudly to attract the funds on the scale could rely upon a fixed sum, slightly of independent medical research that given to disaster relief.