Peter Ebeling and Helena Teede appointed to the NHMRC Research Committee

Professor Ebeling AO

Congratulations to two Monash leaders on their appointments to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Research Committee.

Head of Department of Medicine, Professor Peter Ebeling AO and Professor Helena Teede, Executive Director of Monash Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre, Head of the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, School Public Health and Preventive Medicine and an Endocrinologist at Monash Health have both been appointed to the
NHMRC Research Committee.

Professor Teede

Covering the spectrum of health and medical research, the NHMRC Research Committee is the principal national health and medical research committee and awards grants on the basis of scientific quality as judged by peer-review.

It also provides research support through a variety of mechanisms, including support for individual research projects, broad programs of research, training awards and fellowships and special research units.

 “It’s a great honour to be nominated to the research committee and a great honour for Monash University and the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health for me to be their representative on the committee,” said Professor Ebeling.

“As a research committee member I will push for the importance of translational research, and particularly the research we are able to undertake at the Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP) with our new facility.”

Professor Teede has served two recent terms on the NHMRC Health Care Committee and now transfers to the principal research committee.

“It is an honour to be able to contribute to the health and medical research sector through this vehicle,” said Professor Teede.

“This is a challenging time for health and medical research and the strategies that emerge from the NHMRC over the next three years will be vital in shaping the future of this sector in Australia.”

The NHMRC plays a key role in advising government on the future direction of research and on facilitating knowledge exchange to translate evidence into policy and practice.  Professor Teede said she looks forward to contributing to this vital agenda moving forward.

“Another key opportunity for health impact is our newly NHMRC accredited Academic Health Sciences Centres, including Monash Partners,” added Professor Teede.

“These will play a key role in the integration of health and medical research and are ideally placed to innovate and to drive pace and scale in both research and translation, with measurable impact on practice and policy.”

Professor Ebeling said he also intends to lobby for more research funding overall in Australia.

“The future medical research fund does create an opportunity although it is uncertain how this funding will be administered,” added Professor Ebeling.

“I think the NHMRC should have a role in the peer review of fund distribution from this new research fund and it’s important to push that agenda with government.”