Like all institutions whose income partly depends on philanthropic revenues, which in turn depend on the vagaries of the financial markets, SASVRC has suffered in the last couple of years. Shortfalls have been accommodated by ‘rainy day’ savings in SASVRC accounts and by help from the hospital foundation. Erosion of the Centre’s functioning has thus been prevented. We look forward to a return to normal as financial markets recover.

The Federal Government’s announcement of a 25% increase in spending on science and innovation will be welcomed by the medical research community. The increment includes an extra A$430million for health and medical research, $590 million for cancer research, and a 12% increase in funding for basic research through the NHMRC.

This year has seen the formal establishment of the Queensland Children’s Medical Research Institute as an independent research centre. SASVRC anticipates the contribution it can potentially make to the Institute.

Scientifically there have been a number of pleasing aspects to the year. Viral diagnostics continues apace in the Queensland Paediatric Infectious Diseases Laboratory (QPID). Among a number of outcomes one has been quite spectacular: Within days of the first reports of swine flu by the Center for Disease Control (USA), Drs Whiley, Sloots and colleagues began developing a diagnostic assay. After intense research, two detection methods were successfully validated and implemented into Pathology Queensland. The following week, the assays detected the first case of swine flu in Australia, later confirmed by the World Health Organisation. Nick Davis-Poynter and Helen Farrell’s work on molecular mechanisms underlying pathogenesis of human herpesviruses is gathering momentum. Kirsten Spann’s group is showing how respiratory synctial virus down-regulates the body’s immediate protective immune response to infection. And for the first time, it has been shown that another respiratory virus, human metapneumovirus, evokes a long-lived (memory) immune response in infected individuals. A novel therapeutic vaccine approach for human papillomavirus-associated diseases is in the pipeline. The Clinical Studies Group within QPID flourishes under the leadership of Michael Nissen. Clinical trials of new vaccines, vaccine combinations, or treatments, against meningococcal disease, RSV-associated respiratory disease, and influenza have figured predominantly. All these outcomes have implications for sick children.

Notable visitors to SASVRC during the year included Professor Peter Steer, CEO, Children’s Health Services District, Queensland Children’s Hospital and Professor Nick Fisk, Director, UQ Centre for Clinical Research at the Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital who discussed work with senior SASVRC staff and inspected facilities.

SASVRC welcomes Professor Stephen Walker, Executive Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Queensland and Professor Peter Steer, CEO, Children’s Health Services District (Queensland Children’s Hospital) to its Committee of Management.

SASVRC owes a debt of gratitude to Professor Jeff Mann for his balanced stewardship of the Committee of Management, and to Doug Brown, Acting Operations Manager, Royal Children’s Hospital for his continuing support of SASVRC endeavours. SASVRC Support Services group deserve special mention. So too do many members of staff who contribute altruistically beyond the call of duty to making the SASVRC working environment what it is, from organising the seminar programme, helping out with technical support, to keeping our tea-room clean.