Message from the Director

Today is a monumental day for NICM. As I sit here typing my address for our winter newsletter edition, I pause to reflect on the exciting future ahead for our Institute and our stakeholders, as today is our first day in our new location on the Westmead precinct. A day that has been in the making for many years. A day that would not have been possible without the leadership, vision, support and commitment from our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barney Glover, along with many other senior executives in the University, our generous donors, our domestic and international research partners and above all, the extraordinary team that comprise our innovative NICM Health Research Institute.

Our continued growth contributes to Australia’s innovation culture, leading world-class science and research translation in the field of integrative medicine.  Westmead is a key precinct in medical and healthcare innovation and we look forward to working with our new Westmead Alliance partners to foster health and wellbeing in the communities we serve and beyond.  NICM will complete its move into Westmead in two stages. Stage One, now completed, has included all core staff including our clinical, commercial and policy researchers. Stage Two will follow in several months relocating all our preclinical researchers once our scientific laboratories have been built. We anticipate an official opening in June 2019 once all renovations are complete.

Gray Puksand Architects and our University Division of Finance and Resources’ Office of Estate and Commercial and the Project Management Office have achieved a superb renovation in a beautiful, complex and large heritage building. The finished renovation will not only be home to all NICM staff and students but also offer clinical services and dispensary as part of our research translation activities, a clinical trials site, herbal medicine testing facilities, extensive pharmacological and research laboratories, meeting rooms, auditorium and conference facilities. We invite our friends and colleagues to visit and engage with our new Institute at Westmead.

In this winter edition, you will read about our recent research findings in exercise and depression, acupuncture and IVF, cannabis and psychosis, WHO guidelines for childbirth, integrative oncology and much more.

I hope you enjoy our winter edition.

With best wishes

Professor Alan Bensoussan

9 July 2018