Northern Blood Research Centre
The Northern Blood Research Centre is an integrated facility for basic and clinical research in blood disorders, located at Royal North Shore Hospital on the St Leonards campus. The NBRC brings together research and hospital scientists, clinicians and clinical trials staff from the Department of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, and offers excellent opportunities for postgraduate study. The Department has been treating blood disorders since 1961, and has a long history of innovation and teaching. The NBRC was established in 2001, and aims to become one of Australia’s foremost haematology research centres, combining high quality basic research with a long tradition of clinical excellence. Its researchers have established a strong network of local and international collaborations, based on our research strengths in coagulation and cancer.
Research interests at the NBRC include thrombosis and haemostasis, haematological malignancies such as leukaemia and multiple myeloma, stem cell therapies and transfusion. The Platelet Function Laboratory is an international reference centre for the molecular characterisation of platelet disorders and provides a unique capacity for collaborative trials of hypercoagulability. Our group is also a leader in developing novel, global assays of coagulation to guide patient therapy. Cancer research at the NBRC focuses on molecular signals promoting leukaemia and the impact of targeted therapies on refractory disease, as well as thrombosis in cancer. The Transfusion Research Group targets new viral agents and novel molecular methods to diagnose serious blood disorders. The Stem Cell Laboratory has used blood-derived stem cells as therapy for over 20 years, and is a focus for developing new cellular therapies in animals and man. The Clinical Trials Unit provides training and opportunities in one of Australia’s busiest centres, including many international trials of novel anticancer and anticoagulation agents.
The NBRC provides training opportunities in both basic and clinical science, including a number of local Fellowships. As a hospital-based unit of the University of Sydney, the Centre attracts students interested in patient-based research. In 2008, the NBRC will relocate to a state-of-the-art research building on the RNS campus.
Contact details
Assoc. Professor Christopher M Ward
Director of Research
Dept of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine
Royal North Shore Hospital
Pacific Highway
St Leonards, NSW 2065
Phone: +61 2 9926 7118
Fax: +61 2 9906 1635
Email: