About Us

Background

Currently, 38 independent medical research institutes have been admitted to full membership of AAMRI. The current AAMRI President, Professor Robert M. Graham, was appointed in November 2008.  

Robert Graham is the Des Renford Professor of Medicine, University of New South Wales, and Executive Director, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, as well as holding an adjunct professorship in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland.

A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, his research for many years (both in Australia and during 17 years in the US) has focused on molecular cardiology, with emphasis on circulatory control mechanisms, hypertension, receptor signalling, cardiac hypertrophy and stem cell biology. He is the author of over 200 peer-reviewed papers. 

Currently, he serves as a Member, NHMRC Research Committee; the NSW Ministerial Advisory Council on Medical and Health Research; and the Council, Australian Academy of Science; Board Member, The Lowy Institute, EngeneIC Ltd, MirACL Therapeutics Pty Ltd; Member, Scientific Advisory Boards of the Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland; the Bosch Institute, University of Sydney; Mesoblast Ltd, Melbourne; and Zensun Ltd, Shanghai.

Professor Garry Jennings, Director of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute is the immediate past-president of AAMRI. Professor John Mills, then Director of the Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health was AAMRI's inaugural President.

In recognition of the importance of Federal Government policies and funding via the Department of Health and Ageing and the National Health and Medical Research Council, AAMRI has established a National Office in Canberra with political consultants, Carney Associates, and its principal, Mr Stephen Carney. In close liaison with the office of the AAMRI President, Mr Carney maintains an ongoing and close relationship with the key relevant decision-makers in Canberra, advising AAMRI on political strategies and providing a vital link between the medical research institutes and politicians.

AAMRI's goals

• Represent the interests of medical research institutes to government, industry, the public and the university sector
  
• Coordinate communication between the medical research institutes and improve scientific and administrative collaboration amongst those institutes to government and the public
  
• Facilitate the creation of a fiscal and regulatory environment that will ensure the efficient conduct of research, and the practical application of that research by AAMRI members
  
• Ensure that government, business and the public are aware of the contributions that medical research makes to improving human health, particularly through the activities of medical research institutes