As far as renovations go, the Australian National University's John Curtin School of Medical Research has undertaken one of the largest, longest and most expensive on campus.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Almost a decade after the first brick was torn down for a $144 million redevelopment, the JCSMR yesterday celebrated the completion of the third and final stage of the facelift, which has transformed modest brick buildings into a good likeness of a double helix and blocks of DNA.
Created in 1948 as one of the first research schools at the ANU, the JCSMR has produced two Nobel Prize winners, and made a number of discoveries contributing to world health.
ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young said the new facilities, which include state-of-the-art laboratory space designed for clinical and biomedical research into fields including neuroscience, genomics, translational and personalised medicine, pharmaco-genetics and vision, would ''expand our understanding of how the human body works and how we can combat some of the major diseases of our time''.
The $60 million price tag for the final stage of the refurbishment was funded by the Commonwealth under the Health and Hospital fund, with Labor Member for Fraser and former ANU economist Andrew Leigh on hand for the official opening.
Dr Leigh praised the openness of the foyer, saying that of the conferences he had run, some of the best conversations were had in the coffee breaks.
Professor Young said the new building would house vital research aimed at understanding neurological diseases including memory loss, epilepsy and blindness.
Meanwhile, it will be up to Cameron Webber, chair of the newly announced John Curtin Medical Research Foundation, to translate the hope of a next big discovery to potential donations.
Dr Webber has been given the task of luring international venture capitalists to the JCSMR, tapping into the national philanthropic pool and setting in place a culture of donation in the ACT.
Professor Young, who has made philanthropic links with alumni and the community a focus of his 10-year strategic plan at the ANU, said medical research was the ANU's biggest financial drain.
''It is so resource hungry - it is about as expensive as you can get.''
While the ANU received substantial donations through bequests, he said he wanted to see young people take an active interest in supporting ground-breaking medical research. ''Even if someone donates $10 a year, it is habit forming and an act of giving which will stay with them throughout life.''