MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
COVID-19 continues to define this year, influencing our work, our research activity and our families. I have been tremendously encouraged by the efforts of our teams to progress their research endeavours despite the altered and at times, challenging arrangements. It has also been pleasing to see how quickly some of our Kolling researchers have responded to the global pandemic, and established COVID-19 related trials. Our researchers are driving national and international studies, broadening our understanding of this devastating virus and working to improve patient outcomes. The trials are focusing on early warning tools, the impact on patients with cardiovascular disease, and the use of blood pressure medications to reduce severe COVID symptoms. We are seeing important new collaborations, with researchers working with teams across the country and overseas. This is widening the scope of the research activity and strengthening results. Importantly, Kolling representatives are a key part of the District’s COVID-19 Clinical Research Group, looking at emerging treatments, the prevention of COVID in high risk groups, and biomarker research for diagnosis.
All these measures will help support our community through this pandemic. At the Kolling, we have also taken steps to support our researchers during this time, with a new professional development webinar series. These sessions are an important way to improve connectivity with our teams, and to help researchers through these altered arrangements. It’s been gratifying to see the numbers of researchers benefiting from this new initiative. COVID has led to changes within the Kolling building with the District’s executive team relocating to level 14. The move was required to meet the demands of a possible surge in COVID-19 patients. Levels five and six of the Douglas building have been refurbished to provide more than 50 additional beds. The Kolling was accommodating the teams managing the contact tracing and community care of COVID patients. These teams have now moved out of the building and are continuing to provide a crucial role supporting the community. Consultation around the Kolling Institute’s new research strategy stepped up recently, ahead of the finalisation of the strategic document. It will set the direction of the Kolling for
the years ahead, while strengthening our reputation as a world-leading institute driving research progress and improvements in healthcare. The new research strategy will help us develop new partnerships and attract additional investment. A key component of the strategy is the provision of the research enablers. These will be instrumental in delivering: • Collaborative opportunities • Operational efficiencies • Improved facilities and services to support Kolling Institute researchers • And, increased community awareness of our research activities Important new committees will be established to support the implementation of the research strategy, with a range of disciplines to be represented. As we celebrate the Kolling’s 100th anniversary this year, I’d like to thank Royal North Shore Hospital’s archivist Cate Storey for her special contribution to this newsletter and her wonderful insights into the history of the Kolling – the oldest research institute in New South Wales. We discover some of the personal experiences which inspired the establishment of this unique organisation.
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KOLLINGNEWS | ISSUE 6 | AUGUST 2020
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