New name for MIMR-PHI Institute

Professors David de Kretser, Bryan Hudson and Henry Burger

MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research will officially be known as Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Director and CEO Professor Bryan Williams announced yesterday.

The name Hudson was chosen to recognise the shared history of both MIMR and PHI. The late Professor Bryan Hudson was the first Professor of Medicine at Monash University and the Founding Chair of the University’s Department of Medicine. He then became Founding Director of Prince Henry’s Hospital Medical Research Centre (MRC, subsequently Prince Henry’s Institute). In this role he established Prince Henry’s Hospital as the key Monash University academic teaching hospital with the first Monash MBBS medical cohort of 29 students graduating in 1966.

He also recruited a number of key medical and scientific staff who were integral to the history of both PHI and MIMR. These include Professor Henry Burger, Director of MRC/PHI (1969-1998), Professor David de Kretser, founding Director of the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development (subsequently MIMR) and respected respiratory physician, the late Associate Professor Blair Ritchie, who was involved in the establishment of what is now The Ritchie Centre. Professor Hudson was a key driver in the search for ‘inhibin’ bringing together, Professors Burger and de Kretser, who subsequently led the successful discovery of this new hormone in 1986.

Other future leaders who developed under his leadership were Professor David Healy, who completed his PhD under the supervision of Professor Henry Burger at the MRC and went on to become the Professor and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University. Professor Peter Fuller, now Associate Director of MIMR-PHI Institute worked with closely with Bryan Hudson in the Endocrinology clinic at Prince Henry’s Hospital.

Professor Hudson was an internationally renowned endocrinologist; serving as the President of the International Endocrine Society (1980-1984) and becoming President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (1982-1984). A brilliant teacher and researcher; he was a leader, innovator, visionary and an iconoclast.

The name ‘Hudson Institute of Medical Research’ was arrived at after a comprehensive process of consultation. First, responses from the Institute-wide survey were collated and analysed. The overwhelming consensus was that a new name was needed and that it should be ‘meaningful’ to the Institute. Several names were put forward by staff in the survey which were taken to branding consultants, Hello Creative, who then interviewed Centre Heads for their input. After reviewing all the options, the feedback from the majority of Centre Heads was that the Institute should be named after a person – either someone who contributed to the Institute in some way or who has a good standing in the scientific community. A review of crucial individuals in the histories of MIMR and PHI showed that the earliest and most influential seed at the very origins of both Institutes was Professor Hudson, a world-class medical researcher.  

Naming is just the first stage in the branding process.  The branding consultants, Hello Creative, will develop the Institute's new logo and 'look', a process which will take approximatey 8 weeks to finalise.

The Institute will retain the name MIMR-PHI Institute until May 2015 when the new name and brand is ready to be launched externally. At this time, website and all external communications and promotional items will be changed over to Hudson Institute. 

This will mean that grant applications prior to May will be under the current Institute name. We will be providing further updates over the coming weeks. If you have any queries please contact development.office@mimr-phi.org.