World Class Research into Spinal Cord Damage & Parkinson's Receives $12 Million Boost

Washington DC: A $34.5 million research institute focusing on treatments for disorders such as Parkinson's disease and spinal cord damage will receive funding from the Queensland Government's Smart State Research Facilities Fund.

Mr Beattie told Bio2003 in Washington DC that $12 million would be allocated to the Eskitis Institute for Cellular and Molecular Therapies at Griffith University in Brisbane to enable it to conduct further research in these areas.

"The Smart State Research Facilities Fund is a key component of our Smart State strategy for Queensland," Mr Beattie said.

"Researchers such as 2003 Queenslander of the Year, Professor Alan Mackay-Sim, whose team pioneered a procedure for harvesting and cultivating nasal cells for transplantation into the spinal cords of patients, will potentially help thousands of people.

"The Eskitis Institute will also conduct research into the use of cell transplants and other neurobiological techniques to treat disorders such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease.

"These conditions impose a huge financial and social cost on the community, which is why my Government is keen to invest in research which may lead to improved treatments.

Griffith University will use the funding to develop a new research facility which will build on and expand the research work of the AstraZeneca Griffith University Natural Product Discovery facility at the Mount Gravatt Research Park in Brisbane.

Apart from schizophrenia, Parkinson's and spinal cord damage related areas of research the new institute will cover includes Neurobiology, Protein Science, Molecular Cell Biology, Microbial Diversity, Molecular Evolution and Molecular Architecture.

Innovation Minister, Paul Lucas, who is with the Premier at Bio2003, said the Institute will bring together leading molecular and cellular biologists and assist in taking natural product discovery to the next phase.

"This Institute will also seek to commercialise discoveries and attract new companies to the Smart State for collaborative projects.

"This will further our goal of making Queensland the biotechnology hub of the Asia Pacific," Mr Lucas said.

Griffith University Vice Chancellor, Professor Glyn Davis, has welcomed the Queensland Government's investment, saying it is the perfect example of collaboration between the Smart State and the Smart university which will benefit Australians.

"This will build upon the significant scientific endeavour of Professor Ron Quinn who has been working with the international pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca," Professor Davis said.

"The collaboration with AstraZeneca has already seen the investment of $100 million in the Queensland bio effort based at Griffith.

"Professor Quinn will work with Professor Alan Mackay-Sim, who has received praise from across the scientific and medical community for his work in spinal cord regeneration."

Professor Davis said the University would immediately commence discussions with the Queensland Government to progress planning for the new Institute.

Professor Alan Mackay-Sim said the Queensland Government funding was a significant investment in Australian biomedical research.

"This will be a great boost to important biomedical research at Griffith University at a time when we are establishing a new medical school," Professor Mackay-Sim said.

Media contact: Anne Delaney 3224 4500 (Premier's office)

Alison Smith (Minister Lucas) 3235 4550/0409 640026

Alexia Deegan (Griffith University) 3875 6782