MRFF News

Endometriosis research

Congratulations to The Royal Women’s and Mercy Hospitals Endometriosis research team, led by Professor Peter Rogers (pictured), for being awarded $3.9 million by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) for “Improving diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis".

Professor Peter Rogers

The University of Melbourne is one of the five leading research institutions that were awarded funds of $3.929 million to contribute to a greater understanding of endometriosis for the benefit of women in Australia as well as globally.

Endometriosis is a chronic menstrual health disorder that affects around 1 in 10 (700,000) Australian females. The governments $9.5 million investment will support projects to improve diagnosis, treatment and a better understanding of the causes of Endometriosis.

Further information can be found at our Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology website.

New paediatric genomics ethics centre


A new genomics ethics centre led by researchers at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and the Melbourne Medical School is being created after being awarded funding in the Federal Government’s recent $33 million research grants ground.

The project commenced in July after being awarded $465,000 over three years from the MRFF Genomics Health Futures Mission.

The Centre for Ethics of Paediatric Genomics will bring together national and international leaders across ethical, legal, economical and clinical sectors to further research and policy in the field of genomic medicine. The centre will be overseen by MCRI Biomedical Ethics Group Leader, and MMS honorary fellow Professor Julian Savulescu and MCRI Biomedical Ethics Team Leader, and MMS Lecturer Dr Christopher Gyngell (pictured).

“This research will improve our understanding of the impact of rapid genomic sequencing on critically ill children and their families, clinicians and health systems,” Dr Gyngell said.

“Genomics is revolutionising medicine. But peering into the genome of a child, even to save their life, raises especially difficult ethical questions. The Centre for Ethics of Paediatric Genomics will unravel these puzzles - and help develop evidence-based advice and guidelines to improve policy and practice.”