St Vincent's Institute

St Vincent's Institute SVI is an independent medical research institute focussed on improving the health of all Australians

Diseases studied:
- Cancer and its spread
- Heart Disease
- Type 1 diabetes
- Obesity and type 2 diabetes
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Osteoporosis
- Mental health disorders (metabolism research)
- Infectious diseases
- Rare diseases

SVI researcher Dr Steve Foulkes has earned international recognition for research that is reshaping how clinicians under...
23/01/2026

SVI researcher Dr Steve Foulkes has earned international recognition for research that is reshaping how clinicians understand exercise intolerance in people affected by cancer and heart disease.

The study used comprehensive cardiopulmonary exercise testing to uncover why many breast cancer survivors struggle with physical capacity long after treatment has ended.

Find out more: https://www.svi.edu.au/news-events/why-exercise-is-harder-after-breast-cancer-svi-researcher-receives-award-for-latest-findings/

SVI researchers Associate Professor Andrew Deans and Dr Sarah Henrikus have joined a national effort to develop targeted...
07/01/2026

SVI researchers Associate Professor Andrew Deans and Dr Sarah Henrikus have joined a national effort to develop targeted treatments for a group of aggressive cancers.

The $5 million funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Synergy Grant Scheme marks one of the largest coordinated investments yet in this area.

Professor Hilda Pickett at Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI) leads the program, which is administered through the University of Sydney and delivered in partnership with CMRI, SVI and the University of Wollongong.

The team is targeting treatment-resistant cancers that activate the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) mechanism and make up about 10% of all cancers. These cancers are known to be fast-moving and difficult to treat.

Find out more: https://www.svi.edu.au/news-events/svi-joins-national-effort-to-develop-targeted-treatments-for-aggressive-cancers/

18/12/2025

A year of progress, people and purpose at SVI.

Thank you to our students, researchers, partners and supporters for being part of 2025.

We can’t wait to see what’s next...

Congratulations to all our SVI PhD students who completed their PhD seminars this year.Across cardiology, human genomics...
17/12/2025

Congratulations to all our SVI PhD students who completed their PhD seminars this year.

Across cardiology, human genomics, RNA and T cell biology, immunology, diabetes and more, your research is helping drive progress across diverse areas of health and disease. We’re incredibly proud of the quality and impact of your work.

SVI is fortunate to have such a vibrant and dedicated student community, and we look forward to seeing your ideas and discoveries continue to grow.

Congratulations to Navya Shukla, David De George, Angela (Yi) Wang, Pongsakorn Sukonthamarn, Laura Sanz Villanueva, Yali Deng, Aaron Kwok, Lara Abbouche, Maddy Comerford, Thuy Trang (Jenny) Lam, Stephanie Rowe, Dhruti Parikh and Luke Spencer.

SVI researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding why children with Fanconi anaemia (FA) develop life-threatenin...
11/12/2025

SVI researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding why children with Fanconi anaemia (FA) develop life-threatening bone marrow failure – while also showing that cutting-edge gene-editing technologies may one day offer a safer, more effective treatment.

The study, published in Blood Advances, shows that Fanconi anaemia’s severe symptoms come from one faulty enzyme rather than wider problems in the cell’s repair system.

Associate Professor Andrew Deans’ team found that losing this single enzyme function explains all major features of the disease, including developmental issues, infertility, DNA-damage sensitivity and the loss of blood-forming stem cells.

Find out more about the milestone research: https://www.svi.edu.au/news-events/svi-scientists-unlock-cause-of-fanconi-anaemia-and-advance-new-gene-editing-therapy-for-children/

This year’s student-led BioMed Link Conference, held at the Bio21 Institute, brought together around 80 biomedical scien...
01/12/2025

This year’s student-led BioMed Link Conference, held at the Bio21 Institute, brought together around 80 biomedical science students from 15 institutions, creating a vibrant space for connection, collaboration and skill-building across universities.

With presenters representing 15 different disciplines, including strong participation from SVI, the University of Melbourne, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), the program gave students a rare opportunity to learn from a wide range of scientific fields and from each other.

Find out more about the event: https://www.svi.edu.au/news-events/biomed-link-conference-brings-emerging-researchers-together/

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is highlighting the far-reaching impact of Australian medical r...
26/11/2025

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is highlighting the far-reaching impact of Australian medical research through a new series of case studies.

Among the featured stories is the groundbreaking work in microsurgery led by researchers at SVI's O’Brien Department.

Find out how their development of precision instruments, surgical models and advanced techniques has shaped modern surgical practice around the world: https://www.svi.edu.au/news-events/pioneering-microsurgery-nhmrc-funded-research-leads-to-life-changing-medical-innovations/

SVI had the honour of hosting Professor Sir Philip Cohen, a scientist whose discoveries have shaped modern biology, for ...
18/11/2025

SVI had the honour of hosting Professor Sir Philip Cohen, a scientist whose discoveries have shaped modern biology, for a special seminar this week.

Addressing a full house at the ACMD auditorium, Professor Cohen shared insights into how mutations in the kinase ALPK1 can lead to rare genetic diseases, like ROSAH Syndrome and rare skin tumours called spiradenocarcinomas.

Find out how Professor Cohen’s breakthroughs in cell signalling are guiding new scientific advances: https://www.svi.edu.au/news-events/world-leading-biochemist-sir-philip-cohen-brings-global-expertise-to-svi/

PhD student Kezia Gitareja is studying a new way to stop multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects the cells...
18/11/2025

PhD student Kezia Gitareja is studying a new way to stop multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects the cells in our bone marrow.

In a recent study, Kezia showed that certain drugs that target ribosome production kill myeloma cells, even in cases where the disease has come back after treatment.

Now, she’s using advanced tools to find out how these drugs work and how they could be improved for future treatments.

Find out how Kezia is working to shut down cancer's protein factories: https://www.svi.edu.au/news-events/shutting-down-cancers-protein-factories-kezias-search-for-new-multiple-myeloma-treatments/

As we celebrate World Diabetes Day, SVI Director Professor Tom Kay is proud to share how your support is helping give li...
14/11/2025

As we celebrate World Diabetes Day, SVI Director Professor Tom Kay is proud to share how your support is helping give life back to people with diabetes.

Tom and the Immunology team are working towards therapies that protect and restore the body’s natural processes for insulin production and blood glucose management, alongside insulin therapy when needed.

See how their research is reshaping the landscape of diabetes care and prevention: https://www.svi.edu.au/news-events/world-diabetes-day-giving-life-back-to-people-with-diabetes/

Scientists studying the fat-tailed dunnart, a tiny Australian marsupial, have uncovered genetic clues that explain how d...
13/11/2025

Scientists studying the fat-tailed dunnart, a tiny Australian marsupial, have uncovered genetic clues that explain how different mammals develop their facial features.

Marsupials like the dunnart are born extremely early and must quickly develop the muscles and senses needed to crawl into their mother’s pouch, while placental mammals, such as humans and mice, complete most of their development before birth.

The findings offer new insight into how faces evolved across mammals, providing an invaluable reference for future mammalian evolution studies.

Find out more: https://www.svi.edu.au/news-events/from-kangaroos-to-humans-genes-behind-marsupial-faces-offer-clues-to-how-mammals-evolved/

Address

9 Princes Street
Melbourne, VIC
3065

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61392312391

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Diseases studied: - Cancer - Type 1 diabetes - Obesity and type 2 diabetes - Alzheimer's disease - Bone diseases such as arthritis and osteoporosis - Heart disease - Infectious diseases