2008 Annual Report GM-CSF GMRα βc The Hanson Institute Proudly bringing together the best of South Australia’s medical research Postal address PO Box 14 Rundle Mall South Australia 5000 Street address Frome Road Adelaide South Australia 5000 Telephone (618) 8222 3033 Facsimile (618) 8222 3035 [email protected] www.hansoninstitute.sa.gov.au ISSN 1446-7941 Cover See Highlights, page four THE HANSON INSTITUTE is dedicated to excellence in basic and clinical research on the campus of SA Pathology and Royal Adelaide Hospital. Its primary goals are to make fundamental biological and biomedical discoveries, to provide an environment and world-class facilities necessary for conducting research at an international level, and to establish the important linkage between basic scientists and clinicians, thus facilitating the full development and application of the therapeutic potential of basic science discoveries. The Hanson Institute INCORPORATING Centre for Cancer Research Centre for Bone and Joint Research Clinical Research Centre Centre for Neurological Diseases Centre for Biomedical Research Proudly bringing together the best of South Australia’s medical research CONTENTS 3 SA Pathology Executive Director’s Report 4 Hanson Highlights 6 Director’s Report Research Themes 10 Cancer 18 Bone & Joint 23 Clinical 30 Neurological Diseases 33 Biomedical 40 Core Facilities 45 Membership 48 Publication 63 Research Grants 79 Patents 80 Research Ethics 81 Clinical Studies 85 Invited Presentations 90 Awards, Appointments and Accolades 94 Research staff – Hanson Institute and Affiliated Laboratories 98 Management and Administration 99 Contributors to the Hanson Institute 100 Research Fund Review 101 How to donate Proudly bringing together the best of South Australia’s medical research Hanson Institute Proudly bringing together the best of South Australia’s medical research SA Pathology Director’s Report SA PATHOLOGY was formed by the State Government in 2008 to amalgamate the several State Government-run Pathology service providers. Unusually for a Pathology provider, SA Pathology also incorporates some very successful research groups including the Hanson Institute PROFESSOR RUTH SALOM and Centre of Cancer Biology based in the city, as well as others based at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and other Health Units. As will be clear from the Highlights and the detail in this report, the Hanson Institute is a world-class medical The Hanson Institute provides an We are working through this research organisation. Rather than environment and facilities within which complexity in order to retain and recapitulate the highlights captured in researchers employed by SA Pathology, enhance the successes while reducing this report, I want to emphasise the the Royal Adelaide Hospital, and the any unnecessary duplication. I am success of our researchers in capturing University of Adelaide can focus on looking for transparency in all our highly-competitive funding from their research with minimal decision-making processes. NHMRC and other Commonwealth “distraction” with administrative and schemes, in securing highly sought- infrastructure issues. Facilities range The main characteristics of research in after external Fellowships which in from a Proteomics facility to a SA Pathology are excellence, coupled many cases provide their salaries, in Research Secretariat that ensures with relevance to human health. The publishing their findings in the top grant applications conform with the strong association and in many cases international scientific and medical requirements of the funding bodies; co-localisation of researchers with journals, and in taking their research from an Intellectual Property and Pathologists and other clinicians is through to clinical trial and application. Commercialisation Office to a variety conducive to a “translational” approach These represent the key performance of tissue banks. The provision of such to research which attracts researchers indicators by which medical infrastructure is an essential foundation who want to have an impact on the researchers are evaluated, and our to every successful research study. health of the community. researchers are on a par with the best There remain a variety of groups in Australia and internationally. administrative requirements that I take this opportunity to express my researchers find frustrating; some of appreciation of current and past these are unavoidable and my staff are leadership of the Hanson Institute working to mitigate those that are who have built this excellent research within our control. facility, and to State Government, which has fostered and encouraged The close and synergistic integration its growth. of researchers from SA Pathology, the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Adelaide I am unreservedly proud to have such University within the Hanson buildings, a strong research organisation within together with similar synergistic SA Pathology. interactions that exist at other Health Units, makes for a degree of complexity Professor Ruth Salom in moulding together the research Director groups of SA Pathology. SA Pathology 3 Annual Report 2008 Highlights HANSON INSTITUTE researchers were awarded a total ofa total $20.7 of million $20.7 millionby the Nationalby the National Health andHealth Medical Researchand Medical Council Research (NHMRC) Council to support(NHMRC) 36 to Project Grants commencingsupport 36 Project in 2009. GrantsThis significantcommencing increase in 2009. includes grantsThis significant awarded increaseto SA Pathology includes staffgrants including awarded Women’sto SA Pathology and Children’s staff including Hospital Women’s and Flinders and Medical CentreChildren’s sites. Hospital Professor and Angel Flinders Lopez Medical in collaboration Centre withsites. Professor Professor Michael Angel Lopez Parker in (Stcollaboration Vincent’s Institute with ofProfessor Medical Michael Research, Parker Melbourne) (St Vincent’s was awardedInstitute an NHMRCof Medical program Research, grant Melbourne) valued at $3.7was awardedmillion to supportan NHMRC cancer program research. grant valued at $3.7 million to support cancer research. PROFESSOR ANGEL LOPEZ BIOSPECTRUM ASIA assessed that two of the three most promising biotechnology companies in Australia were founded on intellectual property generated from the Hanson Institute. Labtech Systems, commercialising the clinical microbiology instrument Microstreak and Mesoblast, the adult stem cell therapy company, were the two companies highlighted. Mesoblast was also recognised as a leading company in Asia in another issue of BioSpectrum Asia during 2008 which was dedicated to stem cell commercialisation. OUR FRONT COVER features the molecular structure of the cell signalling receptor controlling blood cells which when damaged RESEARCH CONDUCTED by Professor can be responsible for a form of Nick Fazzalari and his team in the leukaemia. The structure was Bone and Joint Research Laboratory published in the highly has been named as one of the ’10 of prestigious science journal, Cell. the Best Research Projects’ by the The work was conducted by NHMRC in 2008. This work is Professor Angel Lopez and his investigating new procedures for colleagues in collaboration with Professor Michael Parker and the early diagnosis of osteoarthritis which affects 1.6 million Australians colleagues from the St Vincent’s each year. Medical Research Institute, Melbourne. Using X-ray crystallography the researchers PROFESSOR NICK FAZZALARI developed the first 3-dimensional image of the receptor bound to its signalling molecule. 4 Annual Report 2008 Hanson Institute Proudly bringing together the best of South Australia’s medical research CONGRATULATIONS to Professor Howard Morris for his award as 2009 SA Bioscience Industry Leader from Bio Innovation SA for the achievements of the Hanson Institute and his leadership as Director. On accepting the award Professor Morris said “It recognises the work of our outstanding researchers and our support staff as well as our collaborations with universities and the wider bioscience community in South Australia.” HOWARD MORRIS MOLECULES RESPONSIBLE for the epithelial- mesenchymal transition, which is an initiating event in cancer metastasis have been identified and published in the outstanding science journal Nature Cell Biology. The data were generated by Associate Professor Greg Goodall and Dr Yeesim Khew-Goodall and their teams creating considerable international interest. These molecules, known as microRNAs, are now being investigated in model cancer systems as well as in clinical cancer specimens. GREG GOODALL AND YEESIM KHEW-GOODALL THE HANSON INSTITUTE was pleased to acknowledge the award of Officer in the Order of Australia to Professor Christopher Burrell in the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours. Chris received this award for service to medicine as a specialist in infectious diseases, particularly in the field of virology, and as an administrator and educator, in which his research enabled the development of the first diagnostic tools and vaccines for Hepatitis B. Chris also received the award for services to the community of South Australia through the establishment of the Coriole Music Festival of which he has been Co-Founder and Musical Director since 1999. CHRIS BURRELL 5 Annual Report 2008 Director’s Report THE OLD Chinese proverb “A picture’s meaning can express ten thousand words” has been modified and become a cliché but remains as relevant for medical research as for any other activity. Taken together