Australia's First Hospital-Based Biomedical Engineering Research Centre Opens in Melbourne
核心洞察
The Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD), Australia's first hospital-based biomedical engineering research centre, has opened at St Vincent's Hospital in Fitzroy, Melbourne.
The AU$206 million facility brings together clinicians, scientists, and engineers to fast-track medical discoveries into patient benefits using AI, biotechnology, and regenerative medicine.
The centre can accommodate up to 900 researchers, train 300 new doctors annually, and features 3D printing labs, a kinetics lab, engineering workshops, and robotics.
A new era in translational medical research has begun in Victoria with the official opening of the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD), Australia's first hospital-based biomedical engineering research centre. The facility, co-located at St Vincent's Hospital in Fitzroy, was announced by Minister for Health Harriet Shing, representing Deputy Premier and Minister for Medical Research Ben Carroll.
The AU$206 million centre is supported by a AU$60 million investment from the Allan Labor Government, alongside funding from the Commonwealth Government, St Vincent's Health Australia, and other philanthropic and research partners. In total, AU$90 million came from Victorian and Commonwealth governments, AU$86 million from partner organisations, and additional philanthropic contributions.
A Unique Translational Model
The ACMD is designed to bridge the gap between laboratory discovery and clinical application by co-locating clinicians, scientists, and engineers from hospitals, universities, research institutes, and healthcare companies within a single facility. Spanning 11 floors with approximately 4,500 square metres of research space, the centre can accommodate up to 900 researchers.
"This isn't just a research facility, it's where the discoveries made in the lab will find their way to the bedside faster, and more reliably, than ever before," said ACMD Acting CEO Michael Krieg.
Nicole Tweddle, CEO of St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne (搜索), described the centre's role succinctly: "With the ACMD located in our Fitzroy Health and Innovation precinct, SVHM will be the translational playground where innovations in medtech, biotech, and digital are brought into practice."
Research Focus and Capabilities
Research at the ACMD will tackle chronic conditions including epilepsy (搜索), cancer (搜索), and osteoarthritis (搜索), leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and regenerative medicine. The facility is equipped with 31 laboratories, 3D printing facilities, a human kinetics laboratory, engineering workshops, robotics, and a clinical simulation lab to fast-track clinical trials.
A dedicated education centre will train the next generation of clinical, nursing, allied health, and biomedical leaders. Two floors house the University of Melbourne Clinical School, which trains up to 300 new doctors each year.
A Collaborative Partnership
The ACMD operates as a partnership between St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne (搜索), Australian Catholic University, Bionics Institute, RMIT University, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Swinburne University of Technology, and the University of Melbourne. This multi-institutional collaboration is part of Melbourne's world-leading biomedical precinct, aimed at attracting global research talent to Victoria.
The centre is named after Mary Aikenhead, founder of the Sisters of Charity, who established St Vincent's. It stands on the site of the former Aikenhead Wing, previously used for nurse training.
The Allan Labor Government has invested more than AU$1.1 billion in health and medical research since 2014, driving growth, creating jobs, and supporting major breakthroughs in treatment and care.
"We're backing world-class facilities like the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery that generate lifesaving breakthroughs and support thousands of jobs," said Deputy Premier and Minister for Medical Research Ben Carroll.
Minister for Health Harriet Shing added: "The impact of medical research is life-saving and life-changing, and this Centre will fast-track more treatments and bring better outcomes to Victorians living with a range of really complex conditions."