Garvan-Weizmann Centre turns one
More than 80 people attended Sydney's Garvan-Weizmann Centre for Cellular Genomics' first birthday celebration earlier this month.
THE first birthday of Sydney’s multi-million dollar Garvan-Weizmann Centre for Cellular Genomics – which is conducting research to unlock cures and personalised treatments for aggressive diseases like cancer – was hosted by Bob and Ruth Magid on August 2 and attended by more than 80 donors, supporters and scientists.
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research’s executive director Professor Chris Goodnow delivered an update of the centre’s progress so far, and said there’s never been a more exciting time for medical research.
“DNA sequencing tools that a decade ago I daydreamed might one day exist, can now be found inside the Garvan-Weizmann Centre,” Professor Goodnow said.
“We’ve sequenced the genome output of over 150,000 cells already . . . and launched a whole series of fellowships, exchanges and large scale collaborative initiatives for further research into a range of cancers and autoimmune diseases.
“We are tremendously privileged to have recruited Professor Joseph Powell – one of the most brilliant brains in cellular genomics – to head the Centre and drive it to the next level.
“Bob and Ruth Magid – your recent gift of $1 million is truly extraordinary, and will fund the Magid Family Fellow to recruit a talented senior scientist in the computational cellular genomics space.”
Professor Goodnow stressed the need for continued sponsorship for Garvan-Weizmann partnership projects, “because it’s one thing to have all this extraordinary technology, but what really makes the music is having the ability to give brilliant scientists the opportunity to use it, and really change the face of medicine.”
Jewish researchers at the Centre, including Dr Dorit Samocha-Bonnet and Professor Jerry Greenfield, are currently working with their Israeli peers on new research studies that focus on further understanding what causes pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes in individuals, including links between specific foods and gut bacteria composition.
The Centre was established with the support of the NSW Government and major donations by John Roth and Jillian Segal, Laurie and Di Sutton and the Johnny Kahlbetzer family.
Special guest Professor Israel Bar-Joseph – the Weizmann Institute’s vice president of resource development and public affairs – said “we are always hungry to take our basic research expertise and bring it to the next phase to impact humanity, and this is why our collaboration with Garvan is so important and timely . . . because precision medicine is now the name of the game”.
“We thank you for supporting us, and for having a real place that carries the Weizmann name here in Sydney.
“I think even he [Chaim Weizmann] couldn’t have dreamt about it.”
SHANE DESIATNIK
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