Research capabilities
Cancer and Blood Diseases
Monash is a research leader in cancer and blood diseases.
Our research covers the spectrum of cancer types, with particular strengths in blood diseases, lung, prostate, breast and colorectal cancers.
These include:
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases at the forefront of understanding the process of blood clotting and blood cancers such as acute leukaemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma.
- Hudson Institute – formed as a merger between two of Australia's most trusted names in medical research, Prince Henry's Institute and Monash Institute of Medical Research.
- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium – a research partnership between Monash and its affiliated research institutes.
- Cancer Research at SCS - Our cancer researchers tackle the mysteries of cancer from a number of different perspectives. Some carry out research into specific cancers, such as cancer of the lung, bowel, endometrium, brain, bladder and stomach.
- Haematology Research at SCS in Clinical Sciences at Monash Health integrates research with patient care and is connected to some of Australia’s largest haematological and paediatric leukaemia services.
- Monash BDI Discovery Program - The Monash BDI Cancer Program is led by Professor Roger Daly, a world leader in research into cancer cell signalling networks. This program brings together 16 outstanding group leaders and their research teams who collectively exhibit expertise across different, but complementary, areas of cancer research.
- Cancer Research Program - The Cancer Research Program primarily works to create and maintain clinical quality registries with a view to improving health care and patient outcomes.
- Cancer Development and Treatment Group - The Cancer Development and Treatment laboratory is focusing mostly on melanoma to uncover the mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression to develop new therapies.
- Myeloma and Related Disease Registry (MRDR) The MRDR data on patterns of treatment and variation in patient outcomes allows evaluation of advances in therapy outside the setting of clinical trials, and will enable provision of the best possible care to people with these conditions.
- Biobanking Victoria - Flagship facility that provides end-to-end solution for biological material collection, handling, storage and analysis to support precision medicine, genomics, clinical trials, translational research
- Monash Precision Medicine - Pivotal to the establishment of large epidemiological research resources that are now being utilized to address key questions in cancer research.
- Monash BDI Organoid Program - Our world-class organoid research program utilises cutting-edge techniques to generate 3D “mini-organ” models to study development and disease.
- Prostate Cancer Research Group - Developing new preclinical models of prostate cancer.
Visit our other cancer related registries at Monash Clinical Registries.
Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease has remained the leading cause of death globally for more than two decades.
One Australian dies every 11 minutes due to cardiovascular disease and despite rapid and significant improvements over the last few decades, it remains one of the biggest burdens on our economy.
Monash has outstanding expertise and experience across research disciplines, educational and clinical settings, creating a world-leading network of partners and practitioners to collectively transform cardiovascular health outcomes for all.
BDI Discovery Programs for Cardiovascular Disease - Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) encompasses a number of conditions such as coronary heart disease, stroke, arrhythmias, aneurysm and peripheral vascular disease amongst others.
The Victorian Heart Hospital - A collaborative partnership between the Victorian Government, Monash Health and Monash University, the Victorian Heart Hospital will bring world-leading cardiovascular care to all Victorians, and put specialised life-saving services within close reach of residents of Melbourne’s south-east.
Monash Victorian Heart Institute - The Monash Victorian Heart Institute explores novel approaches to solving cardiovascular problems by collaborating with a world class research and innovation community outside the boundaries of health and medicine.
The Artificial Heart Frontiers Program - The Artificial Heart Frontiers Program is a multidisciplinary consortium that applies cutting-edge technologies to transform the healthcare of people with heart failure. We're committed to developing innovative medical devices that will improve and save lives.
Monash Cardiovascular Research Centre (MCRC) - is the formally recognised research arm of MonashHEART, one of the premier clinical cardiac services in Australia. The centre is recognised as being in the top tier internationally in fields including cardiac technology, therapeutic devices and invasive treatment of coronary artery disease; structural and valvular heart disease; establishment of new approaches in the management of cardiac disease; the application of Cardiac CT imaging; and in the investigation of arterial mechanics in the better understanding of cardiovascular pathophysiology.
Monash Alfred Baker Centre for Cardiovascular Research - A cardiovascular research centre is bring's together Monash University, the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and Alfred Health to boost opportunities for academic-clinician partnered research and offer new pathways for emerging research talent in the Alfred Research Alliance Precinct.
Centre of Cardiovascular Research and Education in Therapeutics - Part of the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, this highly collaborative team undertakes a broad range of clinical and applied research, from clinical trials to health services research, predominantly in cardiovascular and related diseases. Major clinical registries housed within our group support cardiovascular research and inform the quality and safety of clinical care.
Critical Care, Trauma and Perioperative Medicine
Together with our research partners, the Faculty has a diverse and comprehensive research program in critical care, trauma and perioperative medicine.
The National Trauma Research Institute (NTRI) is a department of Monash University and Alfred Health that pursues to minimise injuries and fatalities, and ensure that health care services provide optimal care and rehabilitation following traumatic accident or injury.
The Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine in the Monash Central Clinical School houses a research unit that manages and participates in numerous research trials, funded by a number of large grants.
The Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre (ANZIC-RC) coordinates and conducts comprehensive research programs. It is a bi-national intensive care clinical research methods centre, assisting with the design, funding and execution of clinical trials.
The Monash Emergency Research Collaborative (MERC) is a multidisciplinary collaborative network of clinical and research focused staff in emergency care that encompasses the three emergency departments of Monash Health.
Development, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine
Monash researchers in the field of regenerative medicine are unravelling the basic mechanisms of how tissues repair themselves. Understanding this will enable doctors to prevent, halt and reverse damage to vital organs due to disease, injury or genetic conditions.
Research conducted at the Faculty's Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) and the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology contributes to treatments for conditions such as neurodegenerative disorders, musculo-skeletal and cardiovascular diseases.
Eye Health and Vision
Researchers at Monash are exploring various new targets to treat and prevent the health concerns of vision loss across the lifespan.
Monash Vision Group (MVG) is a Melbourne-based collaborative partnership between Monash University and Alfred Health. MVG's primary goal is to develop a clinically viable cortical vision prosthesis - known as the Gennaris bionic vision system or ‘Gennaris’.
For more information, visit our Eye Health and Vision research capability website.
Health and Climate
As part of Impact 2030, we are actively addressing the impact of climate change on health through our international research partnerships, and in collaboration with government, industry, alumni, donors, and community. We aim to improve evidence of the health impacts of climate, advance evidence-informed preparedness, mitigation and adaption efforts, tackle waste in our healthcare system and educate to enable change.
For more information, visit our Health and Climate Initiative website.
Infection, Inflammation and Immunity
Infection remains a significant health problem in Australia, and the emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens is a cause of great concern globally. Inflammation is implicated in many chronic human disorders including vasculitis, glomerulonephritis, arthritis, atherosclerosis, lung disease and hepatitis.
Monash researchers are committed to deepening our understanding of immune responses and identifying those that are effective and those that cause inflammation and disease.
The Monash Infection and Immunity Group plays a key role in unravelling the primary causes of infection and immune-related illness. Our research is contributing to new therapies for a wide range of illnesses such as systemic lupus erythematosus, fibrotic disease, influenza, clostridial infections, malaria, babesiosis, Chagas disease and tuberculosis.
Researchers in the Centre for Inflammatory Diseases investigate the roles of inflammation and injury in crippling, and sometimes fatal, human diseases, including lung disease and hepatitis. Bridging the gap between basic experimental biology and clinical research, the Centre's researchers hope to develop novel treatments.
Monash Infectious Disease
At Monash Infectious Disease, we are ideally placed to respond to the world’s infectious disease challenges, offering end-to-end solutions for prevention, treatment and control.
Monash RNA
Monash RNA is home to Australia's largest network of RNA and mRNA researchers. We're building an RNA ecosystem that will lead to the rapid development of life-saving vaccines and therapeutic treatments.
Metabolism and Obesity
Obesity is a major public health issue with two-thirds of Australian adults now overweight and 42.4 per cent of Australian men aged 65-74 years considered obese.
Excess weight, and obesity are complex health conditions that are influenced by genetic, social, environmental and economic factors and place people at greater risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some musculoskeletal conditions and some cancers.
Monash Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences is working to transform every aspect of what we know and how we treat this condition and the linked health risks. Our leading experts and world-class technology, together with our research excellence is focused on taking our scientific discoveries and converting this into measurable human health benefits.
Click on the links below to learn more about our Metabolism and Obesity research programs:
- Metabolism, Diabetes and Obesity is one of the key discovery programs at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute.
- Department of Diabetes is Australia’s only dedicated diabetes research department which also extends into the diabetes complications of kidney disease, heart disease and blindness.
- Diabetes Research Unit discovering what makes some people more susceptible to developing conditions like diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
- Chronic Disease Prevention and Healthy Ageing Research at the School of Clinical Science conducts clinical, population health and health services research that covers the prevention, and treatment of diabetes, metabolic, cardiovascular and healthy ageing.
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food is globally-recognised in research and education in the broad area of nutrition.
- Department of Gastroenterology is internationally recognised for its high-impact research and clinical expertise across gastroenterology and intestinal health including the invention of the Low FODMAP Diet.
- National Centre for Healthy Ageing is the country's premier healthy ageing research centre undertaking translational research in partnership with the healthcare and aged care sectors to deliver new models of care and policy system reform relating to healthy ageing across the lifespan.
Neuroscience, Neurological Disorders and Mental Health
Monash Neuroscience brings together world-class expertise from across Monash, to propel research excellence in neuroscience, enabling us to tackle these complex health challenges, and ultimately save and transform lives.
The School of Psychological Sciences has a comprehensive research program, and home to a number of research centres and institutes.
The Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre (MERRC) conducts ethical, innovative and internationally competitive research. The centre investigates the effectiveness of intervention programs for individuals with brain injuries, or other injuries caused by trauma with the ultimate aim of maximising their functional, psychological and social outcomes.
The Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), one of Australia's largest clinical research centres in psychiatry, conducts world-class research to improve the lives of people suffering from serious mental illnesses.
The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health is one of Australia’s largest Institutes for brain and mental health thanks to the generosity of the late David Winston Turner. The Institute's mission is to optimise brain and mental health through community-driven, world leading research and innovative solutions.
HER Centre Australia is dedicated to understanding and treating mental illnesses experienced by women, focusing on creating interventions and treatments that are tailored to the unique aspects of mental illness through a woman's lifespan.
Our Neuroscience and Neurology Research Group at Monash Health conducts a broad spectrum of research from clinical to laboratory science. Research expertise includes stroke and ageing, movement disorders and epilepsy.
The Monash Addiction Research Centre (MARC) brings together world-leading expertise to address the harm done by alcohol, drugs and gambling and the related health and social problems.
The BASE Sleep Clinic is a multi-disciplinary program that aims to investigate the contribution of sleep regulatory processes on waking function, health and safety.
Public Health and Health Systems Improvement
The Faculty's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine is a leader in the establishment, management and analysis of clinical registries. The importance of registries as a strategy for improving the safety and quality of health care is recognised internationally.
The Healthy Working Lives Research Group is focused on improving the health of all workers and the sustainability of systems that insure them.
Monash Clinical Registries, collect an identical minimum data set from patients treated in multiple hospitals or clinics throughout the country. Consistency is ensured through the use of identical definitions and data collection procedures.
Women's, Children's and Reproductive Health
We have a proud history at the forefront of discovery and translational research in women’s health, focused on new treatments and therapies for women’s specific conditions and for general health conditions that affect women disproportionately.
Women's health outcomes can be improved through health promotion, disease prevention, and early intervention specific to women.
Our researchers and network of clinical partners are ideally placed to transform women’s health outcomes across their lifetime through research discovery and care that is equitable, safe and specific.
Our expertise covers the range of health issues women encounter from adolescence to older age, including sexual and reproductive health, mental health, prenatal and postnatal care, sleep, cancer, menopause and cardiovascular health.
For more information, visit our Women's Health capability website or the individual links below.
- Women's Health Research Program
- Global and Women's Health Unit
- Health and Social Care Unit
- The Department of Paediatrics
- The Ritchie Centre
- SPHERE
- HER Centre Australia
- Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI)
- Centre for Research Excellence in Women’s Health in Reproductive Life (CRE WHiRL)
- Victorian Heart Institute - Women’s Heart Health
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- The mitoHope Program
- Midwifery and women's health research
- The Centre of Research Excellence in Health in Preconception and Pregnancy (CRE HiPP)
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute - Ovarian Biology Lab
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre