Acute and Critical Care

We're home to a large, interdisciplinary team of internationally recognised research leaders collaborating across pre-hospital, emergency, acute and intensive care settings.

We conduct groundbreaking clinical trials and develop innovative practice and policy solutions to improve the management of acute illnesses, severe injuries, and life-threatening conditions.

Our focus areas

Research units

Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre

We’re a Monash University-accredited centre and world-renowned leader in the development, conduct and translation of pivotal, large scale research projects in critical care.

Director

Professor (DJ) Jamie Cooper AO

Pre-Hospital, Emergency and Trauma Research

We collaborate extensively with senior clinical, academic, industry, government experts to deliver innovative research, safety and quality programs that improve care and outcomes for emergency and trauma patients.

Head of Unit

Professor Belinda Gabbe

Transfusion Research

We support high-quality patient care and outcomes for people living with a range of blood diseases, and those requiring blood transfusions, as well as better stewardship of precious blood product resources.

Head of Unit

Professor Erica Wood AO

Centres and major initiatives

Blood Synergy Program

Blood Synergy is a multi-awarded NHMRC-funded program providing vital new knowledge on conventional and novel blood products, and health systems and economic data to improve the use and cost-effectiveness of blood products in Australia.

The EXCEL Registry

The EXCEL Registry aims to generate a binational multidisciplinary network of integrated care for critically ill patients requiring ECMO, and to monitor long-term outcomes and identify best practice.

NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in optimising the emergency response to save lives (Aus-ROC CRE)

Every year, over 31,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in Australia and New Zealand, and less than 7% of patients survive. Aus-ROC CRE is bringing cutting-edge technologies and resuscitation science together to double survival rates.

NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in intensive care
(CRE-ICU)

CRE-ICU works to improve patient outcomes and reduce overall costs, through a suite of research projects that will identify and streamline best care practices. Particular emphasis is placed on invasive life support treatments, such as ECMO.

NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in improving immunoglobulin use and clinical outcomes (OPTIMAL)

OPTIMAL brings together patients, leading researchers, health professionals and health economists to design and implement better systems for delivering immunoglobulin therapy and improving outcomes for patients.

REMAP-CAP: A global first redefining clinical trial conduct in critical illness

A randomised, embedded, multi-factorial, adaptive platform trial for community-acquired pneumonia. To date, REMAP-CAP has recruited 300 sites and over 15,000 participants worldwide, testing more than 65 different interventions across 18 domains.

Victorian State Trauma Outcomes Registry and Monitoring Group (VSTORM)

Capturing all causes of traumatic injury and treatment from trauma centres across Victoria. VSTORM works to improve quality of trauma care across the State, and to identify and reduce major risk factors for trauma in the community.

WHO Collaborating Centre in Acute Care

This Centre formalises the extensive regional support we already provide across emergency, critical and perioperative care, strengthening acute care systems, especially in low-resource settings.

Registries and large data assets

Our courses

Our impact in action

Clinical trial to test treatments for acute respiratory distress syndrome awarded $2.3M MRFF Clinical Trials Activity grant

A clinical trial applying precision medicine to test pharmacological therapies for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome has received a $2.3M Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) 2024 Clinical Trials Activity grant.

Public Health and Preventive Medicine 29 January, 2026

CONNECT-TBI: National collaboration to revolutionise traumatic brain injury care

A national initiative led by Monash University researchers will bring together over 60 experts from across Australia to transform clinical care for Australians who experience moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.

Public Health and Preventive Medicine 9 October, 2025

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Acute and Critical Care

Public Health and Preventive Medicine