SMART CIT Y FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
GEELONG is establishing its credentials as a medical research hub with Barwon Health’s level of clinical trials at an all-time high.
Over the past 12 months some 200 clinical trials involving 700 participants have run at Barwon Health.
They have included treatments for diabetes, cardiology, stroke and respiratory illness. Subjects have also taken part in an international trial of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The state government is boosting the number of clinical trials run in regional Victoria through a clinical trial research support service launched last year at Barwon Health, Bendigo Health, Ballarat Health, North East Health Wangaratta and Goulburn Valley Health.
Medical research is also booming in Geelong, with a team of Barwon Health researchers receiving funding from the government’s COVID-19 Research Fund to carry out a study into the long-term effects of coronavirus.
A team of researchers from Barwon Health, Deakin University and the Geelong Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases is set to begin its nationally significant study into the biological, physiological and psychological impacts of COVID-19 infection on a regional population.
Barwon Health chief executive Frances Diver said clinical trials were vital to providing access to new and emerging therapies for people in the Barwon region.
“We are expecting to grow our research footprint, ultimately delivering better care for our community,” Ms Diver said.
Medical Research Minister Jaala Pulford said there was groundbreaking work being done in Geelong in medical research and clinical trials.
“The impact can be immediate for individuals while the potential long-term benefits for the wider community are immense,” Ms Pulford said.