About Us
St Vincent’s Hospital Precinct constantly strives to provide the highest level of complex and innovative surgical care, comprehensive surgical training for tomorrow's leaders as well as ground-breaking basic science and clinical research. We undertake a wide range of research spanning from basic to clinical research.
Our Academic Lead
Professor Peter Choong was appointed to the Hugh Devine Chair of Surgery at the University of Melbourne and St Vincent’s Hospital in 2009. His research focuses on improving outcomes of arthritis surgery, studying the molecular regulation of bone tumours and advanced limb reconstruction.
Professor Choong heads up the Advanced Limb Reconstruction Research Program which addresses the spectrum of conditions including degeneration, tumour, trauma and infection. Professor Choong’s team is at the forefront of exploration into ‘futuristic solutions for limb reconstruction that include tissue engineering, live cell 3D printing, guided regeneration, mechano-biology, robotic surgery and bionic limbs’. The team is part of a national industry-university consortium recently awarded a 40 million dollar grant from the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre. Professor Choong’s team is the only point of clinical translation represented in the consortium which is indicative of the contribution made by their program of research.
Professor Choong also leads an active total joint replacement (TJR) program at St Vincent’s Hospital. To this end, he is conducting a National Health and Medical Research Council funded study to examine appropriate use of TJR for osteo-arthritis and its associated impacts on resource planning and utilisation.
Professor Choong is also the Director of Orthopaedics at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, and chair of the Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma Service at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Key Research Areas
Our approach to new discoveries is to apply a multidisciplinary research framework engaging orthopaedic surgeons, clinicians, biomedical engineers and basic biologists to address problems such as:
- Development and progression of cancer as typified by primary and secondary cancers of bone, breast, prostate and lung;
- Disease progression and drug interventions in musculoskeletal tissues;
- Repair of bone and joint defects using tissue engineering and regenerative technology;
- Clinical assessment of outcomes following joint replacement surgery and the prognostic indicators and determinants of outcome;
- Evaluation of risk and progression of musculoskeletal conditions affecting lower and upper body joints, using innovative motion sensors and custom developed software.
Lead Researchers
Associate Professor Michelle Dowsey
NHMRC Career Development Fellow
Email: mmdowsey@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Romane Blanchard
Independent Researcher.
Dr Romane Blanchard's research involves clinical and high resolution imaging and computational modeming of biological systems and their mechanical properties.
Email: romane.blanchard@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Claudia Di Bella
Leader, Cartlilage Regeneration Program.
Dr Claudia Di Bella is Group Leader of the Cartilage Regeneration program, focused on the use of advanced 3D Bioprinting techniques for the treatment of osteochondral injuries.
Email: claudia.dibella@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Serena Duchi
Research Fellow, Academic Research University of Melbourne.
Dr Serena Duchi is a senior biologist involved in the in vitro and in vivo studies in the laboratory for the execution of the "Next generation of Bioprinting for cartilage regeneration" project. She's also involved in article and grants writing, PhD and student supervision, and research official presentations.
Email: serena.duchi@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Samantha Bunzli
Research Associate
Email: sbunzli@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Carmine Onofrillo
Postdoctorate Fellow
Email: carmine.onofrillo@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Elizabeth Nelson
Research Fellow
Email: enelson@unimelb.edu.au
Academy of Surgeons
The St Vincent’s Academy of Surgeons brings together a group of surgeons dedicated to teaching, research and mentorship. Under the auspices of the Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne we aim to:
* To foster a community providing leadership, teaching, research, mentorship and fellowship for the practice of surgery at St Vincent’s.
* To provide adequate representation of all surgical specialties, and the cross section of surgeons that practice within them.
* To provide an interface for surgeons at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne with the Eastern Hill Clinical School, Pre-SET resident society, St Vincent’s Surgical Student Society, and the Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne.
Meet the members of the Academy of Surgeons.
Research Groups
Advanced Limb Resconstruction
Research Group Leader - Professor Peter Choong
Centre for Research Excellence in Total Joint Replacement - OPUS
Research Group Leader - Professor Peter Choong
Acknowledgement of the support
V7, leading platform for a new breed of AI-first software ushered by deep learning.
Facilities
Contact Us
Executive Assistant to Professor Peter Choong
Toni Ardino:
Ph: +61 3 9288 2365
Email: tardino@unimelb.edu.au
Research Co-ordinator
Associate Professor Michelle Dowsey:
Ph: +61 3 9231 3955
Email: mmdowsey@unimelb.edu.au
Research Enquiries
Easternhill GR Administration
Email: easternhill-gr@unimelb.edu.au
Location
Level 2, Clinical Sciences Building, 2
9 Regent Street, (Cnr of Regent and Princes Sts)
Fitzroy, VIC 3065