History
QIMR was created by an Act of Queensland State Parliament in 1945 from a report by Dr Edward Derrick that recommended a permanent research facility to be set up to investigate diseases unique to the climate of Queensland. QIMR began operations in 1947 with a staff of seven in a disused World War II US Army hut in Victoria Park, Brisbane. This temporary accommodation housed the Institute for the next 30 years.
From 1951 to 1965, at QIMR field station in North Queensland, researchers investigated outbreaks of leptospirosis, scrub typhus, dengue and other tropical fevers. Researchers also studied viruses in Queensland’s animals.
In 1960, QIMR scientists isolated Murray Valley encephalitis virus from mosquitoes, which paved the way for discovery of other arboviruses like Ross River virus in 1963. During the 1960s, QIMR established an oncology section to investigate cancer-causing viruses. One project researched cancer cells taken from Burkitt's lymphoma patients in Papua New Guinea, and found they were infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV is now known to cause many types of leukaemias and lymphomas. Eight years later, this same virus was found to immortalise white blood cells; a discovery that revolutionised research of these immune cells and their DNA.
In 1977, QIMR relocated to new laboratories in the grounds of the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital at Herston.
In 1988, the Queensland Government amended the QIMR Act to make statutory authority. The Queensland Premier at the time, The Honourable Mike Ahern, secured $30 million to fund a new building for QIMR’s ever-increasing staff numbers. The new building was officially opened in 1991, and was aptly named the Bancroft Centre, as a memorial to the family who contributed to QIMR’s early history.
In 1997, a philanthropic donation of $20 million was matched by both the federal and state governments, presenting the opportunity to construct a comprehensive cancer research centre unparalleled in Australian history. The Cancer Research Centre was named after Mr Clive Berghofer in appreciation of his extremely generous contribution towards the building.
In 2002, Q-Pharm Pty Limited became operational. Q-Pharm Pty Ltd is a joint venture between QIMR, The University of Queensland and Professors Hooper and Dickenson, and is a Phase I clinical trials facility to test potential new therapeutic products on humans. The same year, a new Indigenous Health Research Program was initiated to focus on improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and work in collaboration with Indigenous communities.
A new building is currently under construction on the site of the previous Queensland Radium Institute. The Smart State Medical Research Centre will link the existing two research facilities and is due to be completed in 2012.
Read more about this topic: Queensland Institute Of Medical Research
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