Foreword from the Acting Executive Director, Research

The Metro North Office of Research provides support for the largest Hospital and Health Service (HHS) in Australia, comprising six main facilities and a number of satellite units. The Office of Research also has an important role in the five specified Metro North Research Institutes, which seek to accelerate this research agenda across the entire HHS. The Metro North research strategy is now into its second iteration covering 2023-2027 and focuses on five themes:  

1. Career pathways in research 
2. Clinical Trials 
3. Health Equity 
4. Precision Medicine 
5. Knowledge Translation 

There have been major advances in Metro North research activity since the Office of Research was established in 2016. Our researchers are established as world leaders and regularly publish in top international peer reviewed journals with locally-led and collaborative research resulting in practice change and access to new drugs or therapeutics. Metro North Health has pioneered a systematic program of career development support, known as the QTRAC pathway and over the last eight years has invested over $10 million to support the career development of a research-capable workforce. This program is now being expanded into other hospital and health services and across Queensland Health.  

Clinical trials are essential to ensure optimal clinical practice and access to state-of-the-art therapies. We have pioneered world leading research across specialties including critical care, infection control and cancer therapeutics, including leading the Queensland CAR-T cellular therapy program which recently won the Metro North Research Excellence Award for Innovation. We will continue to support clinical trials and facilitate compliance with the National Clinical Trials Governance Framework, through central coordination of Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), research governance, training and financial oversight of this important work within Metro North. As always, it is important to recognise the hard work and dedication of all the people who make this happen – from our clinical research coordinators, to the HREC chairs and committees, research governance officers and members of the Office of Research. 

Health equity research remains an important priority, and we have supported a number of emerging researchers with stimulus and research entry grant funding. Additionally, our research support has majorly impacted clinical facilities such as Caboolture Hospital, demonstrating that targeted and equitable programs can result in significant and hopefully sustainable long-term gains.  

The Metro North Office of Research believes that clinical and translational research are fundamental to improving the outcomes for patients, and research remains integral to transforming our healthcare system for future challenges. 

Professor Steven Lane
Acting Executive Director, Research
Metro North Health