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MJA Careers A In this Careers section MJ C1 FEATURE Research Research as altruism C3 as altruism Calendar of events Australia needs more clinician–researchers, He is immediate past president of backed by the Medical Research Future Fund the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes and is the current and a less time-consuming and more secure chair of the Victorian chapter. funding process, says director and CEO of the He teaches at the University of Melbourne and Monash University Burnet Institute, Professor Brendan Crabb, AC and took on the job as CEO of the Burnet Institute 7 years ago. t's not unusual for an Australian They’re doing that because they “ Almost 2 years ago, the final Every year, medical researcher to spend 3 have other options, he says, or, if they report from the Strategic Review of months of every year writing grant choose to do medical research, they’re despite all I Health and Medical Research, led by applications to initiate or keep alive choosing to do it somewhere other Simon McKeon, AO, was published, than Australia, “where the funding is you’ll see, the projects that drive this country’s and highlighted a growing crisis of a little more secure”. reputation for innovation and diminishing numbers in Australian the world development. The success rate in the National research. The amount of research Is that process too difficult? Does Health and Medical Research Council being done by Australian medical is actually it take up too much of a researcher’s (NHMRC) project grant scheme is practitioners was diminishing.1 now down to about 15%, half of what getting time that could be spent on the real Among other factors, the McKeon it should be, says Professor Crabb. work? Review found that the problem lay better … and Professor Brendan Crabb, AC, “You don’t want it to be easy to get with inadequate funding set aside director and chief executive officer grants, but you certainly don’t want for clinician-directed research, the primarily of the Burnet Institute for medical it to be almost impossible, or a lucky apparent income disparity between what’s research, thinks so. dip.” work in the clinic and in the lab, and “It should be hard”, Professor Crabb The alternatives to moving overseas the lack of a clear career pathway for delivered that tells the MJA. to conduct research are to get out those wanting to combine the two. of the research field, or to spend a is innovations “It needs to be competitive. It needs Its recommendations included large chunk of time preparing grant to be tough. This is an international increasing the number of NHMRC in health applications. ’’ playing field — there’s nothing local practitioner fellowships to 1000 over about health and medical research. If “Grant applications are a good 10 years and embedding research training as part of education and you’re not doing the best stuff in the thing — they help you hone things accreditation in order to support dual world, you can’t be in it. and plan what you’re going to do very carefully, but again, it’s too researcher–practitioner education “There isn’t anyone who thinks, much”, Professor Crabb says of the pathways. though, that we haven’t gone too far. time commitment needed to craft a As far as Professor Crabb is “We run the risk now, and we’re successful grant submission. concerned, there are still “nowhere already seeing it, of our top people, A molecular biologist by training, near enough” clinician–researchers or otherwise really talented people Professor Crabb’s research career in Australia, but the situation has who should be choosing health and focused on malaria, especially in the improved since the 2013 review. medical research as their career, development of vaccines and new continued on page C2 Professor Brendan Crabb saying ‘I don’t think so’.” treatments for the disease. Editor: Cate Swannell • [email protected] • (02) 9562 6666 MJA 202 (4) · 2 March 2015 C1 C1-C4_020315.indd 1 20/02/2015 8:26:07 AM MJA Careers the most vulnerable people locally, nationally and internationally, with a focus on our own Asia–Pacific region. “That’s really changed everything for us”, he says. “We look at everything through that prism. “You don’t have to look very far to realise that these things — [the health and wellbeing of society’s most vulnerable populations] — impact on us all.” Medical research has an altruistic edge to it, and that, Professor Crabb “The McKeon Review had “They don’t need to have any great says, is perhaps its most attractive tremendous traction and those vision of what they can contribute to quality. recommendations are starting to research. “It’s the right thing to do. It creates an trickle through”, he says. “There’s no way to really understand economically better world, a safer world, the research paradigm and what it “The problem has been recognised, a world in which you as the donor brings unless you actually have a go some of the solutions have been would be healthier.” at it. identified, but we still have a major It’s that bigger picture that intrigues challenge to implement that.” “The more clinicians or people in Professor Crabb and, he hopes, will training for clinical work do some The answer comes down to two similarly lure future generations of research, even if they have no intention things — “money and policy”, he says. clinician–researchers. of making that a mainstay of their “We think we’ve got the policy, or at career, the better they will be at their “Every year, despite all you’ll see, the least the framework that will address job.” world is actually getting better”, he says. that issue. But it’s more than a self-interested “And that paradigm of the better off “We don’t yet have the money and pursuit, he says. supporting those who are less fortunate is what’s delivered that. And primarily the Medical Research Future Fund “The second reason [for doing what’s delivered that is innovations in (MRFF) … would obviously provide research] is that the research that health.” those funds. actually is done benefits enormously from people who are at the coalface. 1. Strategic Review of Health and Medical Research “So I don’t think we’re far off having – Better health through research http://www. a circumstance under which it is much “When the very same person who is mckeonreview.org.au more attractive for clinically oriented seeing patients is actually going back 2. Cunningham A L, Anderson T, Bennett C C, et al, into the laboratory or into field-based Why Australia needs a Medical Research Future people to do more research.” Fund. Med J Aust 2015; 202: 123-124. research — I don’t think you need to Professor Crabb coauthored a be tremendously psychoanalytical to The full interview with Professor Crabb is available Perspective in the 16 February issue of realise that that is a really good circle. as a podcast and video in the multimedia section at the MJA that was strongly supportive www.mja.com.au/multimedia “It makes the research very focused of the MRFF, regardless of the political on the problems that are really there. environment.2 Cate Swannell “Thirdly, [clinician–researchers] “Australia has one of the best and are among the most talented, if most efficient health care systems in not the most talented people in the the world, underpinned by past and country, therefore they should do the MJA current research, and the potential to research and the research will benefit ADVERTISING INDEX do much more is exciting”, Professor enormously from that talent.” ACSQHC Crabb and his coauthors wrote. When Professor Crabb took on the Fact sheet ........................................................Inside front cover “The MRFF offers us a way to directorship of the Burnet Institute in AFT Pharmaceuticals achieve this potential, and the 2008, it was a merging of two research Maxigesic ....................................................................................p167 evidence shows that all Australians leviathans — the Macfarlane Burnet stand to benefit.” Institute for Medical Research and Avant Public Health and the Austin Research ................................................................. So why should medical students, Medical Indemnity p164 Institute — both with their own well trainees and registrars consider taking respected research agendas. Nuance Communications Australia on such a difficult and potentially Dragon dictate ..........................................................................p174 Professor Crabb and his executive frustrating career in research? wanted to give the new entity a single Pfi zer Primary Care “It will make them better doctors, focus. Rather than a disease, the focus Lyrica ............................................................. Outside back cover for a start”, Professor Crabb tells the would be on a group of people — the MJA. poorest, most marginalised, and C2 MJA 202 (4) · 2 March 2015 C1-C4_020315.indd 2 20/02/2015 8:26:28 AM MJA Careers Calendar of events This calendar will be updated each month. If you have an event you would like to add, please include relevant details in an email to [email protected] ALM = active learning module 17-20 35th International Symposium on Intensive 28-29 Master Class Ophthalmic Oncology Conference, ASM = annual scientifi c meeting Care and Emergency Medicine, Brussels, Belgium Mumbai, India 17-21 29-2 Apr CPD = continuing professional development World Conference on Tobacco or Health, Abu Gram-Negative Resistance, Tahoe City, Dhabi, UAE California, USA CT = computerised tomography 18-21 9th World Immune Regulation

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