Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners

Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners] (BDHP) is Queensland’s first Academic Health Science System. The organisation’s purpose is to strengthen the linkages between healthcare, research and education in order to deliver better health outcomes for the community. By encouraging and supporting collaboration, BDHP assists the translation and integration of cutting-edge research and innovation into healthcare delivery.^[1]

BDHP has two main offices: one located within the Translational Research Institute on the Princess Alexandra Hospital campus, the other located within The University of Queensland’s Centre for Clinical Research on the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital campus.

Partners

BDHP is a joint project of eight of Queensland’s leading universities, research institutes, and hospital and health services:^[2]

• Children’s Health Queensland
• Mater Health Services
• Metro North Hospital and Health Service
• Metro South Health
• QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
• Queensland University of Technology
• The University of Queensland
• Translational Research Institute

The BDHP partner organisations have a combined annual budget of over $7.5billion, servicing and supporting over 3 million patients, researchers and students each year.

History

Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners’ history dates back to 2011 with the establishment of the Mayne Health Science Alliance and Diamantina Health Partners. In 2014, these two Academic Health Science Centres came together with Children's Health Queensland in a collaborative arrangement to form the Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners Academic Health Science System., ^[3][4][5][6]

Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners is named after Lady Diamantina Bowen. Born in 1833, Lady Bowen initiated and worked for several charities, including the Lady Bowen Lying-In Hospital, the Diamantina Home for Incurables, and the Sisters of Mercy — the Catholic order that established Mater Health Services.

BDHP Leadership

Each of the BDHP partner organisations have a representative on the BDHP Board.^[7] The current Board Members are:

Emeritus Professor David Siddle – Chair, Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners Dr Richard Ashby – Chief Executive, Metro South Health Professor Scott Bell – Research, Executive Director, Metro North Hospital and Health Service Ms Fionnagh Dougan – Health Service Chief Executive, Children’s Health Queensland Professor Nicholas Fisk – Executive Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland Professor Frank Gannon – Chief Executive Officer and Director, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Dr Shane Kelly – Chief Executive Officer, Mater Health Services Dr David Watson – Chair, Translational Research Institute Professor Ross Young – Executive Dean, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology

Clinical Themes

Through a series of consultations and workshops, Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners established seven broad key clinical themes: Brain and Mental Health Cancer Chronic Disease and Ageing Evidence and Innovation in Clinical Care Immunity, Inflammation, Infection Maternal and Child Health Trauma, Critical Care and Recovery

These Themes are areas of community need in which BDHP’s network of capabilities allows action and leadership to improve health outcomes. While each Theme is managed by a different Theme Leadership team, their purpose is to facilitate collaboration both within and between the Themes.^[8]

Events

Brisbane Cancer Conference

The BDHP Brisbane Cancer Conference is held annually in December at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. With over 500 registrants each year, this is the largest meeting of cancer-related researchers, clinicians, educators and industry in Queensland. The two-day conference is a collection of plenary lectures, workshops and networking events. The BDHP Brisbane Cancer Conference is convened by Professor Ken O’Byrne, Clinical Director of the Cancer and Ageing Research Program., ^[9][10][11]

Metabolic Research Collaborative Meeting

The BDHP Metabolic Research Collaborative Meeting is a weekly seminar series held at the Translational Research Institute on the Princess Alexandra Hospital campus. Presentations are given by local, national and international researchers in the areas of Diabetic Complications, Endocrinology, Exercise Science, Gastroenterology, Hypertension, Metabolic Medicine, Nursing, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Renal Medicine. The weekly seminars are an opportunity to hear about the latest research and encourage greater collaboration within and between research streams. The series is convened by Dr Ingrid Hickman, Director of Research, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Blood Cancers Group Seminar Series

The BDHP Blood Cancers Group Seminar Series is held once a month, alternating between the Translational Research Institute on the Princess Alexandra Hospital campus and the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute on the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital campus. Presentations are given by local, national and international researchers, providing an opportunity to hear about the latest research and encourage greater collaboration within and between research streams. The series is convened by Professor Andrew Perkins, Co-leader of the Blood and Bone Diseases Program, Mater Research Institute – University of Queensland.

Circulating Tumour Cell Symposium

The BDHP Circulating Tumour Cell (CTC) Symposium was a single day event that provided up to date coverage of many aspects of CTC research and implementation. The event was co-convened by Professor Colleen Nelson, Executive Director of the Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre-Queensland, and Professor Rik Thompson, QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation Theme Leader for Chronic Disease and Ageing. The symposium was attended by some 130 delegates from QUT, UQ and Griffith Universities, affiliated research institutes, Qld Health, industry and consumer advocacy group representatives as well as attendees from Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia.^[12]

References