A brief SASVRC History 1987 - 2005

From Bryan Sakzewski, John Pope, Eric Gowans and Robert Tindle

The Centre (originally known as the Sir Albert Sakzewski Virus Research Laboratory) was established in 1987 pursuant to an arrangement between the Trustees of the Sir Albert Sakzewski Foundation (SASF - established in 1971 by Sir Albert Sakzewski) and the Board of the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH).
This agreement provided that the SASF would commit to the Centre (through RCH) $1.3 million over a period of five years for the establishment of the Centre and for the funding of certain operating costs. This is believed to be the largest private endowment for medical research in Queensland hospitals.
The Trustees of the SASF stated at the time (1986) that they had decided to make the establishment grant because of the importance of research into viral diseases in children. It represented a significant change in the Foundation's allocation of funds, as in the early years of the Foundation a number of smaller amounts were distributed to a wide range of organizations. In the four years prior to 1986 a greater emphasis had been placed on funding of specific projects, but for the first time it was decided to concentrate on one major project.
The funding was intended to allow the first step to be taken in the establishment of a nationally and internationally recognized research laboratory concentrating on medical virology. Further, the research should focus expressly on viruses important in childhood and try to meet particular Queensland requirements. In the longer term, the research facility would be used as a base to set up a rapid diagnostic service in the RCH for children throughout the state, with a view to improving the standard of clinical care by extending the range of virological tests available in Queensland.
Whilst the overall legal responsibility for the Centre rests with the Royal Children’s Hospital and Health Service District (RCH&HSD), the Centre's administration is assisted (through its director) by a Committee of Management consisting of two representatives of the SASF, two representatives of the RCH&HSD, two representatives of the University of Queensland, and an independent Chairman.
Dr John Pope was appointed inaugural Director in March 1987. At its inception, SASVRC did not have so much as a test tube, but the initial donation from the SASF generously provided the essentials for the research programs to get under way. The immediate priorities were the organization of the laboratories themselves and the purchase of major equipment, minor items, glassware and various essential reagents.
The establishment of SASVRC was fortuitously expedited by other developments in the RCH. The new Surgical Block had just been completed and this meant that some (admittedly old) accommodation became available. The block formerly housing the RCH Staff Dining Room and Kitchen was selected as most suitable for conversion into virus laboratories and an old adjacent storeroom (later refurbished and enlarged to house the RCH Foundation) was to provide the administrative and senior staff offices. Five large laboratories and support facilities (glassware and media) were completed on the first floor and allowed work to commence effectively in May 1987.
His Excellency, the Honorable Sir Walter Campbell, A.C.Q.C., Governor of Queensland, and a former Trustee of SASF performed the official opening, on June 10, 1987.
A critical facet of the establishment of SASVRC concerned research staff. Positions initially established included those of Director, Senior Research Fellow, Secretary and Technical Officer. The strategy adopted was to appoint a core of senior staff of high calibre and to encourage them to attract additional funds from various granting agencies. In practice, this provided a basic staff framework on which the SASVRC could build. Further vital support came from the RCH which administered both personnel and financial aspects.
SASVRC continued to strengthen and grow, until in 1991, SASVRC was allocated space in the former QIMR laboratories. With support from the Hospitals Improvement Program (Federal and State), SASF, Moregate Investments P/L and RCH, the renovations were effected and the new laboratories officially opened, again by Sir Walter Campbell, on June 2, 1992. The staff moved into their new quarters in August 1992, ushering in an exciting new era for SASVRC.
Also in 1992, the Trustees of the SASF reviewed their commitment (at the end of the original five year term) and decided to commit for ongoing funding for subsequent years. To August 2005, a further $3.7 million has been donated, making a total of $5 million. This financial support of SASVRC from the SASF, with matching support from Queensland Health, provides the basic operation. This financial support is magnified several times by the acquisition by SASVRC scientists of competitively awarded national and international grant funding. SAVRC also acknowledges the support in kind for many years of Moregate Exports Pty, through Mrs. E. Meixner.
This brief summary indicates the major aspects of the development of SASVRC from the germ of an idea into an effective competitive virus research centre. After over eight years as inaugural Director, Dr John Pope retired in May 1995, and was succeeded by Dr (later Professor) Eric Gowans.
In late 1998, the Sir Albert Sakzewski Virus Research Centre, sponsored by the Dept of Microbiology, was granted status as a Centre within the Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty the University of Queensland (UQ).
Most research grants won by SASVRC, and the appointments of the staff employed on these grants, are now administered through this Centre (the Clinical Medical Virology Centre). Outcomes include a formula-based award of DEST funding by the University to SASVRC, and a higher SASVRC profile with UQ. The new Centre strengthens the link between SASVRC and UQ, and foments collaboration.
In 2002, Professor Gowans relocated his research group to Melbourne, and Professor Robert Tindle took over first as Acting Director, then Director. The relocation of two other SASVRC research groups to the Queensland Institute of Medical Research and UQ respectively has provided the opportunity for rebuilding, and for SASVRC to examine it’s alignment with it’s mission statement.
Since it’s inception in the mid-1980s, SASVRC has moved from a far-sighted idea to becoming a virus research centre of international standing. It’s reputation derives from the contributions of many, particularly in the fields of flavivirus, hepatitis viruses, and clinical viral diagnosis.
Recent significant developments include; the establishment of the Molecular Microbiology Research Unit at SASVRC, and the award to this Unit along with the Clinical Virology Unit of a $2.5m infrastructure grant; the establishment of a Molecular Therapeutics Unit; and the imminent appointment of a senior scientist/clinician to set up a new research unit. These appointments are all on ‘hard’ money thus freeing SASVRC from hitherto destabilizing constraints (identified by a number of external review committees) of Unit Heads funded from the vagaries of the NHMRC 3-year project funding scheme.
In 2003, Mr Paul Lee, the first chairman of the Committee of Management, retired and was replaced by Dr. Jeff Mann.
SASVRC has undergone external review by independent assessors in 1990, 1998 and 2003, and additionally has been independently reviewed in the wider context of the Royal Children’s Hospital and District (1998), and the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation (2000).