Telethon Kids expands footprint, opening new site in Adelaide

Research into early years development will be one of the research pillars of the expanding Telethon Kids Institute footprint at its new Adelaide facility, which was officially opened last month.

 

Telethon Kids Institute was established in Perth, Western Australia in 1990 and its impact includes seminal work in the role of folate in preventing neural tube defects, evidence that has shaped the childhood immunisation schedule, and trials for new therapies for children’s cancers, diabetes and cystic fibrosis.  

 

Telethon Kids Institute Chair, the Hon. Julie Bishop, said the official opening of the Adelaide facility was just the start of the Institute’s expansion beyond Western Australia.

 

“Telethon Kids is already a national powerhouse in child health research. We work in communities right across Australia and globally, and it is now time to broaden our presence in South Australia with the opening of this new facility,” Ms Bishop said.

 

The Institute’s Executive Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis said he was thrilled to cement the Institute’s presence in South Australia.

 

“We’ve had research teams working in South Australia for some time now, but the official opening of our new facility in Adelaide’s CBD gives us the opportunity to showcase some of the transformational work being led by our Adelaide scientists,” Professor Carapetis said.

 

“Our early development team is expanding what we know about how a child develops in the first five years – those crucial years that set kids up for the rest of their lives. And we’re working to gain a better understanding of the complex area of adolescent health and wellbeing to provide more help to our most vulnerable young people.”

 

Professor Carapetis also said the Institute’s autism work was “paradigm changing”.

 

“In deciding to open this facility in Adelaide it became clear, upon talking to many South Australian medical and science leaders, that there are many synergies between Telethon Kids and existing research organisations in SA,” the Professor continued. 

 

“We are extremely excited at the prospect of even greater collaboration with South Australian-based universities, research institutes and child health providers.”

 

Telethon Kids Institute is also home to the autism clinical service and research collaboration, Clinikids, making it an excellent fit for South Australia, which is the only Australian state to appoint an Assistant Minister for Autism.

 

Telethon Kids Institute research teams in Adelaide are led by Professor Alex Brown, Associate Professor Yasmin Harman-Smith and Professor Peter Azzopardi.