Translating Promise into Benefits
The School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health boasts a Newborn Cell Therapies Group that focuses on research and translation of cell therapy solutions for neonatal conditions. Co-directors Associate Professor Atul Malhotra and Dr Courtney McDonald lead a large team of scientists, clinicians and students who are central to furthering neonatal cell therapy possibilities.
“It is my privilege and honour to be associated with this fantastic group. We hope these activities will lead to more research and investment into this exciting area of innovation with hopefully promising benefits for our most vulnerable patients,” said A/Prof Malhotra, Clinician Scientist, Department of Paediatrics.
“The establishment of this group, with scientists and clinicians working closely together, is a major step towards realising the potential of cell therapies and I am deeply honoured to be working with all of these very talented people,” said Dr Courtney McDonald, Senior Research Scientist at the Neurodevelopment and Neuroprotection group, Hudson Institute of Medical Research.
Professor Rod Hunt, The Financial Markets for Children Foundation Chair in Neonatal Paediatrics, and lead of Monash Newborn Research, adds that this globally groundbreaking work has its Discovery Science origins on the Clayton Campus at The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Monash Health are ideally placed to orchestrate the clinical translation of this work. A/Prof Malhotra and Dr Courtney McDonald are leading the way in Newborn Cell Therapy and improved outcomes for high-risk infants will certainly follow.
The team has become a world leader in translating benchside research to the clinic and giving hope to newborns and their families. You can read about their successes and follow their journey here.