Herston Imaging Research Facility (HIRF)

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Queensland Health, Queensland Government

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HIRF is one of only a handful of imaging research facilities in Australia and the first to be devoted entirely to clinical research. The facility has been built to cater for the growing role of imaging in clinical research. It gives researchers unprecedented access to high-quality imaging equipment and allows the rapid translation of research into clinical practice. With its cutting-edge scanning technology, HIRF has the potential to revolutionise patient care in the areas of dementia and ageing, mental illness, brain development and cancer. HIRF is an alliance between four of Queensland’s most influential research and clinical institutions: The University of Queensland, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute; Queensland University of Technology; and the Metro North Hospital and Health Service through the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. The leading healthcare company, Siemens Australia is the facility’s industry partner.

Website https://www.hirf.com.au

Key science sectors

• Biotechnology
• Health and medical
• ICT and multimedia

Strengths and capabilities

• Imaging research facility devoted entirely to clinical research
• located at the heart of one of Australia's largest research and clinical precincts
• access to a large cohorts for clinical trials
• facility is an alliance of four major research and clinical institutions
• ageing and dementia
• depression, schizophrenia and other mental illnesses
• early brain development
• develop and test new PET tracers for oncology

Facilities and major equipment

• The 3-Tesla PRISMA Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanner (3T/MRI)
• Positron Emission Tomography/ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanner (PET/MRI)
• Positron Emission Tomography/ Computed Tomography Scanner (PET/CT)

Number of research staff

20-100 research staff

Address

Level 3, Building 71/918, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Herston QLD 4029, Australia

Organisation type

• Queensland Government - Agency
• Research Hospital
• University Research Centre