University of Queensland partners with Georgia’s Emory University to establish Queensland Emory Vaccine Centre

• University of Queensland partners with prestigious United States research university to establish new Queensland hub for vaccine research
• Focus on emerging diseases, pandemic preparedness and infectious diseases in the Asia-Pacific region
• Infrastructure, technologies and skills funding to connect Queensland’s vaccine development to US business opportunities

Queensland is set to lead the world in vaccine development.

The University of Queensland, in partnership with Emory University, will deliver a state-of-the-art research and innovation hub at its St Lucia campus.

The partnership will accelerate the development of vaccine candidates suitable for clinical trials putting Queensland at the forefront of research on emerging diseases, pandemic preparedness and infectious diseases in the Asia-Pacific region.

This will deliver a pipeline of vaccine candidates for further development by global medicine and vaccine company Sanofi as well as the Translational Research Institute and Translational Manufacturing currently under construction at the Boggo Road precinct.

This $32 million project, supported by the Miles Government’s Industry Partnership Program, will provide an opportunity for UQ to collaborate with other Queensland research institutions in developing new vaccines.

The facility at The University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus will include laboratories, high-end computing infrastructure, and infrastructure necessary for scaled protein expression and purification.

It will also support spaces for a sterilisation and glass-wash facility, laboratory consumables storage, cold storage, meeting and office rooms.

Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of the leading research providers to the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention through the US Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium.

The project is anticipated to commence construction by the end of the year, and the facility is expected to be complete and operational in 2025.

The Miles Government’s $415.5 million Industry Partnership Program is supporting projects across Queensland that create economic opportunities, including local jobs, address industry supply chain gaps, create sovereign capabilities and expand strengths across industries.

Quotes attributable to Minister for State Development and Infrastructure, Grace Grace:

“This is a nationally significant opportunity to reduce the vaccine development timeline, through investment into novel approaches of vaccine development and technologies right here in Queensland.

“With the support of the Miles Government, the Queensland Emory Vaccine Centre will provide an opportunity for The University of Queensland to collaborate with other Queensland research institutions in developing new vaccines.

“It will provide the infrastructure, access to technologies and skills to fast track the identification of vaccine candidates, connecting Queensland’s vaccine development through Emory University into US opportunities.

“The Centre aligns with the Queensland Biomedical 10-year Roadmap and Action Plan and will see The University of Queensland creating over 20 new highly skilled and high value job opportunities.

“This is another example of an important new project being brought to life with IPP support to strengthen Queensland’s capability in the targeting of vaccine candidates.”

Quotes attributable to University of Queensland Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry AC 

“The QEVC will house more than 80 researchers and create over 20 direct jobs, provide new teaching and learning opportunities to boost Queensland’s skills pipeline and help to attract and retain talent.

“Other research institutions and the biotech sector will be able to take advantage of the new facilities with the focus to ensure a robust pipeline of vaccines and therapeutics moving from discovery to commercialisation.”

Quotes attributable to Dr Ravi Thadhani, Emory University Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and Vice Chair of Emerory Healthcare Board of Directors;

“Partnering with UQ through the QEVC builds on an existing, decade-long relationship between our two universities, and brings together extensive complementary skills and expertise in the search for new vaccines.

“Having Emory on the ground in Brisbane collaborating on specific programs of work is the next step in this important alliance and will maximise the research and translation benefits to the broader R&D community.”

Emory Vaccine Center

The Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University, Atlanta, USA is a world leader in the discovery, development and clinical analysis of safe, effective and affordable vaccines.

Emory is making fundamental advances in immunology, virology and vaccine research in the search for life saving cures against the world’s most threatening diseases.

ENDS

Media contact: Kim Sweetman – 0457 600 237