Centres and Units
There are several important centres within SPHCM.
Centres and Units within SPHCM
Human Resources for Health (HRH) Knowledge Hub@UNSW. The School has entered into a strategic partnership with AusAID to improve the quality and effectiveness of health sector aid in the Asia-Pacific region by establishing the Human Resources for Health (HRH) Knowledge Hub@UNSW. The HRH Hub aims to contribute to the quality and effectiveness of Australia’s engagement in the health sector in the Asia-Pacific region by developing innovative policy options for strengthening HRH systems. It supports regional, national and international partners to develop effective evidence-informed national policy-making in the field of human resources for health. The HRH Hub@UNSW also aims to be the key reference point for the generation, management and dissemination of state of the art knowledge on HRH for all its partners.
The Muru Marri Indigenous Health Unit is guided by local and national community priorities, to contribute to the healing and positive health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through research, teaching, publication, representation on peak national bodies and public advocacy. The Unit is a key player in establishing and maintaining scholarships and in a special entry program into Medicine. These programs are designed to enable more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to study Medicine. Additionally, in consultation with the community-controlled health sector, the Unit aims to auspice research and expand the options for postgraduate training in Indigenous health. A key objective of the Unit is to develop, resource and conduct a leading program of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research and development activities.
NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Population Health Research: "Immunisation in under studied and special risk populations: closing the gap in knowledge through a multidisciplinary approach" - Professor Raina MacIntyre leads this $2.5 million NHMRC CRE, which commenced in 2012 in collaboration with a multidisciplinary and collaborative team across UNSW, The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, The Kirby Institute, Westmead Hospital, The University of Sydney and the University of Antwerp. A very talented team of postdoctoral researchers will work with senior researchers to fulfill the goals of the CRE. New vaccines and vaccine combinations will continue to be developed, not only for prevention of acute infectious diseases, but for prevention of chronic diseases as well. Vaccination is an increasingly complex field, and represents the single largest public health preventive program in Australia. However, much of the vaccine research which informs national policy, particularly large clinical trials, is conducted by the pharmaceutical industry. However, there are critical research gaps in special-risk and under-served populations where targeted research is not commercially viable or too complex because of the mixed methodology required. These include research in the extremes of age (the frail elderly, neonatal and maternal), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, migrants, refugees and traveller populations. This CRE is devoted to addressing research gaps in such populations, which have not been addressed elsewhere, using novel multidisciplinary methods spanning both quantitative and qualitative research. The team will build Australian capacity in identified, talented postdoctoral researchers and has the existing links to directly inform national and international policy in vaccine policy.
International HIV Research Group (IHRG). Working closely with national institutions, the International HIV Research Group conducts high quality social and behavioural research which provides essential strategic information needed to design cost effective and high impact interventions and underpins the development of appropriate policy responses by national partners.
NSW Hospital Infection Epidemiology and Surveillance (HIESU) Unit. The activities of the HIESU Unit focus on healthcare associated infections and community-based outbreaks, and includes surveillance techniques, outbreak management and behaviour of healthcare workers.
Other UNSW Centres with links to SPHCM
(including links to our teaching programs)
The Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity (CPHCE) provides a focus for primary health care and health equity related research, evaluation and development. Bringing together four previous research groups, the CPHCE makes important contributions to the field of primary health care and equity locally, nationally and internationally. The CPHCE is committed to intervention research that impacts on policy and practice. The long term vision of the centre is to improve the community’s health and wellbeing through a focus on improved primary health care services and development of policies and strategies that address health inequalities.
The Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI) aims to conduct multidisciplinary research into health sector practices, organisation and management to enhance the delivery of high quality, safe, efficient and affordable health care. The Institute brings together four successful UNSW Research Centres working in separate but related areas of clinical governance, clinical practice and health services research and health informatics:
The Kirby Institute for infection and immunity in society (formerly known as the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research) is recognised internationally as a research leader in the field of HIV/AIDS and has applied this expertise to a range of other infectious diseases, notably viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections. The Institute’s primary functions relate to the coordination of national surveillance programs, clinical research and clinical trials. The Institute also contributes to training of health professionals, and development and implementation of health policy and programs. The Centre has an extensive range of collaborators, including the other national HIV research centres, State and Territory Health Departments, public and private clinical units, national and international organisations, and the corporate sector including the pharmaceutical industry.
The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) is a premier research institution in Australia and is recognised internationally as a Research Centre of Excellence. The Centre is multidisciplinary and collaborates with medicine, psychology, social science and other schools of UNSW, as well as with a range of other institutions and individuals in Australia and overseas. The overall mission of NDARC is to conduct high quality research and related activities that increases the effectiveness of Australian and International treatment and other intervention responses to alcohol and other drug related harm.
The Population Health and Use of Medicines Unit (PHUM) was established in June 2004 for the purpose of researching the health outcomes related to the Australian community’s use of prescription medicines and is situated in the Therapeutics Centre at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital. The PHUM Unit's principal objective is to advance knowledge relating to the population outcomes associated with changes in drug use in specific health priority areas such as mental health, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and diabetes.