The Kids Research Institute Australia Chair Hon. Julie Bishop will join the international Human Vaccines Project’s Board of Directors on its mission to address the next frontier of human health – decoding the human immune system to transform how we prevent, diagnose and treat disease.
Through a partnership with the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, The Kids Research Institute Australia is the first hub of the Human Vaccines Project outside of North America and is the only paediatric site.
One of the aims of the Perth-based team, led by clinical scientist Professor Tobias Kollmann, is to enable the development of one-shot vaccines that will provide lifelong protection from specific diseases.
Professor Kollmann said Ms Bishop’s appointment would accelerate progress towards the Human Vaccines Project’s goals.
“Julie Bishop has a reputation for getting things done. That quality will be incredibly powerful as she takes up her position on the Project’s Board of Directors, and helps to guide the operation of a global consortium towards the benefit of all people in the world, including Australians,” Professor Kollmann said.
Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO Mr Carrick Robinson said Ms Bishop’s appointment would further elevate Australia’s contribution.
“By being part of this groundbreaking collaboration, we know that Australian children and families will be among the first to benefit from the research that is being done”, Mr Robinson said.
“It’s exciting to see Perth so powerfully represented on this initiative, both through the research being done here and at the leadership level.”
The Kids Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis said Ms Bishop’s appointment further strengthened the relationship between the Human Vaccines Project and the Institute.
“One of the reasons we were so excited about Julie Bishop joining the Institute is that she is extraordinarily committed to making a difference to child health and development. That kind of passion and energy is exactly what is needed to bring to the ambitious work of the Human Vaccines Project to fruition,” Professor Carapetis said.
“As an Institute we are committed to helping decode the human immune system to improve the lives of children, with the mission to create one-shot vaccines that can be given at birth.”
Ms Bishop described the collaboration between The Kids and the Human Vaccines Project as a natural partnership that had the potential to yield enormous benefits for humankind – potentially revolutionising the approach to prevention and treatment of many types of illness.
“It would be a stunning achievement and one with global significance should the Human Vaccines Project be successful in identifying ways to greatly strengthen the human immune system, thereby making us far more resilient and resistant to the causes and impact of devastating and costly diseases,” Ms Bishop said.
Human Vaccines Project Board chair, Professor Ian Gust, welcomed Ms Bishop’s addition to the board, alongside three other distinguished global leaders – internationally recognised Dutch virologist Jaap Goudsmit, the World Health Organization’s Soumya Swaminathan and Jerome Kim of the International Vaccine Institute.
“We are excited to welcome the Hon. Julie Bishop to the Human Vaccines Project’s Board of Directors and, in so doing, to further expand our strong partnership with The Kids Research Institute Australia,” Professor Gust said.
The Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and The Kids Research Institute Australia acknowledge generous support from Telethon, the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, BHP and Wesfarmers that makes our participation in the Human Vaccines Project possible.
ABOUT THE HUMAN VACCINES PROJECT
The Human Vaccines Project is a bold public-private initiative that aims to decode the human immune system to make the next leap forward in human health. Pioneering a new era in health, the Project will enable the creation of next-generation vaccines, diagnostics, and therapies across diseases.
ABOUT PERTH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation is the main fundraising body for and largest non-Government funder of Perth Children’s Hospital. Established in 1998, we receive donations and support from thousands of generous individuals, community groups and organisations who share our belief that all children deserve the chance to live their healthiest and happiest lives. Foundation funds ensure Perth Children’s Hospital is able to attract world-leading experts in paediatric medicine, deliver the most innovative medical training to its staff, function with the latest medical equipment, conduct and contribute to ground-breaking research, and provide child and family-centric initiatives to make the hospital less daunting.