The Queensland Institute of Medical Research was established in 1945 to research tropical and infectious diseases found in northern Australia. Today, QIMR Berghofer is one of Australia’s largest medical research institutes, renowned for its world-leading efforts in both discovery research and translational research. The Institute’s research is focused on cancer, infectious diseases, mental health, and chronic disorders. The Institute includes 55 laboratories across four separate departments: Cell and molecular biology, genetics and computational biology, immunology, and population health. Working in close collaboration with clinicians, hospitals, universities and research institutes in Australian and around the world, the Institute’s aim is to improve human health by developing new and better prevention strategies, diagnostics and treatments.

Website

https://www.qimrberghofer.edu.au/

Organisation type

• Queensland statutory authority

Number of research staff

500-700 research staff

Address

QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston QLD 4006

Strengths and capabilities

• Cancer research
• Mental health
• Infectious diseases
• Chronic disorders
• Clinical trials
• Cellular therapeutics

Facilities and major equipment

• Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility for cellular therapeutics
• Two quarantine-approved PC2 and PC3 insectaries
• ACRF Centre for Comprehensive Biomedical Imaging
• Physical Containment Class 2 (PC2) laboratories
• Physical Containment Class 3 (PC3) laboratories
• Clinical trials facility

Achievements of the centre

• Discovery of Ross River virus, surveillance techniques for monitoring mosquitoes, and clinical trials for malaria vaccines
• Clinical trials for immunotherapy treatments of brain cancer; skin cancer prevention, detection
• Developing a diagnostic test for depression

Key science sectors

More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:

• Biotechnology
• Engineering
• Environment and nature
• Health and medical
• Tropical