ANNUAL REPORT JULY–DECEMBER 2014 CANCER | IMMUNE DISORDERS | INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTENTS 1 About the institute The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research 2 President’s report 3 Director’s report Parkville campus 1G Royal Parade 4 The board Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia 5 Vale Professor Donald Metcalf Telephone: +61 3 9345 2555 6 Research highlights Bundoora campus 4 Research Avenue 13 Chief operating officer’s report La Trobe R&D Park 14 Our supporters Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia Telephone: +61 3 9345 2200 16 Members of the institute www.wehi.edu.au 17 Institute organisation www.facebook.com/WEHIresearch www.twitter.com/WEHI_research 18 Statistical summary www.youtube.com/WEHImovies 19 The period at a glance ABN 12 004 251 423 20 Supporting our research © The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research 2015 Produced by the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute’s Communications and Marketing department Cover image Director Art of Science finalist 2014 Douglas J Hilton BSc Mon BSc(Hons) PhD Melb FAA FTSE FAHMS A merging of worlds by Dr Lachlan Whitehead, Systems Biology and Personalised Medicine division, and Mr Caleb Dawson, Assistant Director Molecular Medicine division. David Vaux MB BS BMedSc PhD Melb FAA Platelets are cells that make your blood clot when you get a cut, stopping the bleeding. Understanding how platelets form and the role they play in human Chief Operating Officer development and growth may help us develop Samantha Ludolf treatments for diseases in which someone has too BA(Hons) Lincoln MEnterp Melb few or too many platelets. This image shows partially analysed data that is normally buried by the computer Chief Financial Officer as it converts images of blood samples into numbers. Ian Coulson Circles mark the position of platelets, with coloured BEc Monash FCA GAICD rings indicating distances to the nearest blood cell. This beautiful image would not normally be seen, had the researchers not probed the code. Honorary Governor and Patron Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE MB BS BSc(Med) Syd PhD Melb HonLLD Mon HonLLD Melb HonMD Mainz HonMD Ncl HonMD Leeds HonMD UWA HonDSc Syd HonDSc Qld HonDSc ANU HonDSc UNSW HonDSc LaT HonDSc McMaster HonDSc Oxon FRCP FRACP FRCPA FRACOG(Hon) FRCPath FRACGP FRSE FTSE FAA FRS ANNUAL We acknowledge the traditional owners and REPORT custodians of the land on which our campuses are JULY–DECEMBER 2014 located, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, CANCER | IMMUNE DISORDERS | INFECTIOUS DISEASE and pay our respects to their elders past and present. OUR MISSION INSTITUTE AT Mastery of disease A GLANCE through discovery OUR VISION 1011 To be an innovative medical research staff and students institute that engages and enriches society and improves health outcomes through 9staff and31 students diseases 40+impacted by institute research 3publications81 discovery, translation and education. 40+ disease impacted by institute research ABOUT THE INSTITUTE 9staff and31 students diseases 40+impacted by institute research 3publications81 167 The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute is Australia’s national1staff and 0and international students0 trials diseases impacted by institute research 3publications81 based9 on institute31 discoveries publicationsinstitute 40+and visiting speakers people came to an event at the institute oldest medical research institute, and is 130 5516 celebrating its centenary in 2015. For 100 years we have been making discoveries for humanity, 9staff and31 students diseases 40+impacted by institute research 3publications81 improving the health of people in Australia and around the world. 100 The institute has more than 750 researchers who are working to national and understand, prevent and treat diseases, with a focus on cancers, international trials immune disorders and infectious disease. 9staff and31 students diseases 40+impacted by institute researchbased on institute3publications8 1 discoveries Our past discoveries include identifying colony stimulatingnational1 and factors0 international0 (CSFs), trials which have helped more than 20 million cancer patientsbased recover on institute from discoveries institute1 and3 visiting0 speakers people5 came to5 an event1 at 6the institute chemotherapy; treating immune disorders with drugs that suppress national and international trials abnormal immune responses; and developing techniques for growing flu 100 based on institute discoveries people came to an event at the institute national1 and0 international0 trials institute1 and3 visiting0 speakers 5516 viruses at sufficient quantities for flu vaccines.based on institute discoveries institute1 and3 visiting0 speakers people5 came to5 an event1 at 6the institute The institute offers postgraduate training as the Department of Medical 74 Biology of The University of Melbourne, and is affiliated with The University institute and of Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne Hospital. visiting speakers national1 and0 international0 trials based on institute discoveries institute1 and3 visiting0 speakers people5 came to5 an event1 at 6the institute in the six months from July to December 2014. PRESIDENT’S REPORT It is my privilege to once again report institute’s reputation has been built and collaborators with whom we have to our stakeholders. This report covers is maintained. worked for so many years have provided only six months due to the change We are also very conscious of the a real edge that has helped the institute in our financial year, which sees us extraordinary philanthropic support and to remain innovative and world leading. moving to a calendar rather than the collaboration from other institutions We have also just completed our traditional financial year. We feel this that has underpinned our growth and strategic review and have formulated the better aligns with the government success. It is remarkable to look at the strategic priorities that we will pursue grant cycle. institute’s first annual financial accounts over the next five years. We look forward The latter part of 2014 continued dated almost a century ago and see to sharing these with all stakeholders to be a challenging one for medical the four familiar names that have been and to celebrating the centenary research institutes in Australia. Budget involved with us all the way. throughout 2015. Our hope is that as uncertainties persisted at the federal The Walter and Eliza Hall Trust, which a consequence new supporters will be level, particularly with respect to the enabled our establishment, continues to attracted to the wonderful work of our proposed Medical Research Future support us as do other partners from our scientific team. Fund, and the newly elected Victorian early days: The University of Melbourne, Government has yet to announce any The Royal Melbourne Hospital and CSL initiatives for the sector. Ltd. In fact, our original premises were Putting all this into context however, in the then Melbourne Hospital, and we have now entered the institute’s part of these were sublet for a period centenary year, which not only gives to the then Commonwealth Serum Mr Christopher Thomas us many reasons to celebrate, but Laboratories (now CSL Ltd) as they built President also many reasons to reflect. The their own facilities. Walter and Eliza Hall Institute extraordinary achievements of the Thus we are reminded that although institute’s scientists, and those who government funding is clearly critical to have supported them since we started, medical research institutes throughout are the foundations on which the Australia, the philanthropists and other 2 Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Annual Report 2014 DIRECTOR’S REPORT As director, I am always excited to hear promising young researchers missed coming decades. A revised model for our scientists’ plans for their research. out on receiving government support for capitalising the fund was announced Medical research is a rapidly moving their research. in December 2014, and has the strong field and, at the institute, we strive to Talented young researchers are support of Australia’s major medical ensure that the facilities and support vital for the future of medical research research institutes and universities. we provide our researchers gives them in Australia. We are mindful of the Enhanced funding of medical research every opportunity to pursue new and challenges our early-career researchers is crucial if Australian researchers are to rewarding avenues of discovery. face in obtaining funding for their continue improving our nation’s health This year, we have been developing innovative, long-term and sometimes into the future. a new five-year strategic plan that will risky research ideas. In response, we As you read this, our centenary year follow on from our current plan, guiding have initiated a campaign to establish will be well underway. An exciting line- our operations from 2015 to 2020. Centenary fellowships for our most up of events to celebrate the institute’s Institute staff, students, supporters promising young researchers. Over the achievements has been put together. I and collaborators have been consulted next five years we have the ambitious am looking forward to meeting many of about how the institute can maximise goal of securing 100 fellowships with the you, our existing supporters, at these the benefits it provides to the community support of our donors. events, as well as introducing many through world-class research. In October, I began a two-year term more Australians to the 100 years of Our researchers have made many as the president