December 13, 2016 Introducing Paediatrio, an innovative joint venture that will enable NSW to set the national agenda for child health.   Today, the Hon. Minister Jillian Skinner MP, Minister for Health, launched Paediatrio, an innovative joint venture between Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Children’s Cancer Institute, and Children’s Medical Research Institute that will enable NSW to set the national agenda for child health. The Paediatrio Vision is to create Australia’s most ground-breaking, innovative and translational paediatric research hub that will change children’s health around the world.   “Having these three outstanding research bodies join forces as Paediatrio will increase our capacity to unlock the future treatments and cures for sick children around the world,” Minister Skinner said. Paediatrio partners have worked closely to develop collaborative and translational research programs that capitalise on the world-class research strengths of its member organisations and facilitate leadership in paediatric research.  The partnership will pool the expertise of academics, scientists, clinicians and the community, ensuring research is implemented to directly improve the health of children throughout Australia and beyond. Professor Michelle Haber AM, Children’s Cancer Institute’s Executive Director, believes Paediatrio is a wonderful example of the way medical research should be done – with the best scientists and clinicians working side by side to improve health outcomes. “Children’s Cancer Institute focuses on translational research – to make sure our discoveries are progressed into actual treatments for kids with cancer as quickly as possible,” she said. “This is why we’re so pleased to be part of Paediatrio and its mission – which is to ensure research is informed by clinical problems and then implemented in a way that directly improves the health of children.” Professor Roger Reddel, Lorimer Dods Professor and Director of Children’s Medical Research Institute, believes that recent technological advances provide unprecedented opportunities for solving previously intractable problems in children’s health. “Complex medical problems require the combined input of researchers with a wide variety of skills and expertise, and Paediatrio will make it so much easier for researchers in the member organisations to align their efforts for the benefit of children and their families.” Dr Michael Brydon, Chief Executive, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, said “Many of our researchers are also clinicians and are dedicated to improving the lives of children with many illnesses by finding cures and developing better treatments. We welcome this collaboration which will ensure that research is rapidly translated into treatments and kids have early access to innovative and new treatments.” Over the coming years, Paediatrio will undertake vital research into areas such as personalised cancer care, rare genetic diseases, immunity and infectious diseases, chronic diseases, gene therapy, diabetes, neurosciences, mental health, behavioural sciences and Aboriginal child health. —ENDS—