A new collaboration: WCHRI partners with SAHMRI

The Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI), the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) are delighted to announce that they have joined forces to form a new Child Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC). WCHRI CNRC researchers will be employed by SAHMRI from 1 January 2016. 

SAHMRI’s Executive Director, Professor Steve Wesselingh, said that the three partners are establishing the new CNRC to build on the successful research already undertaken and to ensure the Centre has the capacity to grow, thrive and be sustainable. 

“The new CNRC will continue to work closely with The Women’s and Children’s Hospital and The Flinders Medical Centre, both vital members of this collaborative effort,” Professor Wesselingh said. 

The University of Adelaide’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Mike Brooks, also welcomed the new partnership. 

“The CNRC has grown to become the largest coordinated research grouping within WCHRI and has developed a strong national and international profile. Under this enhanced collaboration this key research endeavour will receive significant new investment.” 

WCHRI Research Director and SAHMRI’s Healthy Mothers, Babies and Children Theme Leader, Professor Maria Makrides said that the approach of the new CNRC will be unique in providing an integrated interface between the more basic nutritional/biological sciences, agricultural and food sciences and applied nutrition intervention trials to improve health outcomes of families. 

“We are already having discussions with international colleagues to have an international consortium of CNRCs including the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Texas and the Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL London, Professor Makrides said. 

“These international connections will enhance collaboration, deliver authoritative global position statements and major international funding.” 

WCHRI was established as an incorporated association in 1989 and established a CNRC in 1998 as a joint venture between WCHRI, the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the Flinders Medical Centre. 

The CNRC group within WCHRI has been the conduit for all WCHRI community based clinical studies related to the neurodevelopmental outcomes of young children and the effect of immunomodulating nutrient interventions on allergy prevention. 

The University of Adelaide and WCHRI have enjoyed a close working relationship built up over the last two decades, including the establishment of a partnership between WCHRI and the University of Adelaide beginning in 2009 that created the FoodPlus Research Centre and culminating in WCHRI becoming a Controlled Entity of the University on 1 January 2013. 

WCHRI, the University of Adelaide and SAHMRI will jointly fund the Child Nutrition Research Centre for at least the next five years.