NICM Health Research Institute, Westmead

We are the science of integrative medicine.

Western Sydney University’s NICM Health Research Institute is Australia’s global leader in integrative and complementary medicine research and policy. As an Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 5 ranking institute, we are globally recognised for our world-class research and innovations in integrative and complementary medicine. We are committed to social responsibility and the highest degree of integrity, ethics, and scientific enquiry. From the bench to the bedside, preclinical, clinical and translational, we advance the evidence-base, focusing on quality, safety, efficacy and how medicine works.

News

Can cannabis help people with dementia?
7 December 2020
In a collaborative project between NICM Health Research Institute and Australian Natural Therapeutics Group (ANTG), researchers will start screening volunteers in 2021 for a two-year trial investigating the effects of a novel cannabis based-medicine on cognitive function in people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
3 out of 10 girls skip class because of painful periods. And most won’t talk to their teacher about it
23 November 2020
More than one-third of young women in a nationwide survey said they missed at least one class, either at school or university, in the past three months due to menstrual symptoms.
Less screen time and more sleep critical for preventing depression
12 November 2020
A cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of data from the UK Biobank, involving almost 85,000 people, has found that lifestyle factors such as less screen time, adequate sleep, a better-quality diet, and physical activity strongly impact depression. With evolving data exploring the link between depression and lifestyle factors, the international research team led by Western Sydney University say their findings published today in BMC Medicine may help inform public health policy.

Events

NICM HRI Symposium 2021: Medicinal Cannabis
NICM HRI 2021 Medicinal Cannabis Symposium brings together Australia’s leading medicinal cannabis researchers, academics and clinicians, showcasing current Australian research, and discussing regulatory developments and education regarding medicinal cannabis.