Institutes, centres and groups
One of Australia's top 10 research universities, the University of Newcastle is a leader in medical and health science research. As a faculty, we are involved with many research centres across the University and have a number of specific groups which belong to our Schools.
Research centres
Major Institutes and Centres
Hunter Medical Research Institute
The Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) supports the Hunter's internationally recognised health and medical research, education and training. HMRI is a multidisciplinary partnership between the University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Local Health District and the community. Established in 1998, HMRI facilitates collaborations between researchers translating scientific advances into better clinical care, competitive commercial products and improved health care guidelines.
Priority Research Centres
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) centres and programs
Centre of Research Excellence for Venom and Antivenom
The Centre of Research Excellence in Translational Venom and Antivenom Research is a collaboration of five Australian universities and two Sri Lankan universities and brings together experts in the fields of venom and antivenom research. The Centre will focus on snake envenoming and the effectiveness and safety of antivenom. Central to improving the treatment of snake bite is the early identification of envenoming as there is increasing evidence that early administration of antivenom is the key to good outcomes. Key to achieving this aim is the development of a cheap, quick bedside test for envenoming and this will be one of the main objectives of the Centre.
Multi-Institutional Research Centres
Central Coast Research Institute for Integrated Care (CCRI)
The Central Coast Research Institute (CCRI) is a joint venture of the University of Newcastle and Central Coast Local Health District. The CCRI aims to deliver pioneering research relevant to improving the health and wellbeing of the Central Coast community and beyond, focusing on the design, implementation and evaluation of new models of person-centred integrated care.
Clinical Nutrition Research Centre
Professor Peter Howe from the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy is Director of the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC). It offers Australia's foremost expertise in the design and conduct of human intervention trials to evaluate cardiovascular, metabolic, anti-inflammatory and mental health benefits of functional nutrients, foods and nutraceuticals.
University centres
Brain and Mental Health Research
The Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research (CBMHR) is focused on increasing our understanding of the brain and mind across the lifespan, in the absence and presence of disease. The Centre hosts three platforms for research: Preclinical Neurobiology, Psychological Processes, and Mental and Physical Health.
Centre for Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research
The Centre for Drug Repurposing & Medicines Research is committed to improve quality, safety, efficacy and timelines for bringing the most effective drug therapies to patients.
Centre for Rehab Innovations
The University of Newcastle’s Centre for Rehab Innovations (CRI) is a Centre of Excellence in technology-enabled health care innovations and rehabilitation research.
Family Action Centre
The Family Action Centre (FAC) is a research, teaching and practice centre focused on families and their communities. The Centre has a 30 year track record of innovative, dynamic and enduring work that aims to strengthen family and community wellbeing. The assets and diverse resources of families and communities underpin vibrant, cohesive and resilient societies. The FAC is committed to addressing the factors that affect the health, wellbeing, social and educational paths of families, particularly for those challenged by increasingly complex vulnerabilities.
Global Centre for Gynaecological Diseases
The Global Centre for Gynaecological Diseases is a world-leading research centre focused on improving the gynaecological health of women and aims to pioneer a personalised approach to the prevention, detection, and treatment of gynaecological diseases.
Global Centre for Research and Training in Radiation Oncology
The Global Centre is the first of its kind. With the support of industry partners and collaborators, the centre delivers education, research and training to domestic and international clinicians and students.
Health Professional Education
The Centre for Health Professional Education is committed to engaging in a systematic and rigorous program of research that will examine the effectiveness of curricula interventions as well as the impact of health professional education on patient outcomes.
Health Services
The Health Services Research and Innovation Centre (HSRIC) aims to improve the design and management health services with particular emphasis interdisciplinary approaches to addressing critical challenges.
Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research
The Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research is committed to finding a cure and improving the lives of those affected by brain cancer. We aim to advance brain cancer research and achieve the greatest impact for brain cancer patients and their families.
Resources Health and Safety
The Centre for Resources Health and Safety draws on the multidisciplinary expertise of University researchers spanning disciplines including workplace health and safety, psychology, psychiatry, respiratory studies and environmental impacts, to meet sector demand in this area and facilitate industry and government collaborations for the benefit of communities in resource intensive regions.
Rural and Remote Mental Health
The Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (CRRMH) has a long-standing history of providing evidence-based translational research and expert advice on mental health for people living in rural and remote Australia. Throughout its 20 years of operation, CRRMH improved the provision of mental health services through the identification of and response to the needs of rural and remote communities. In particular, this includes the development of appropriate service models for rural mental health care, providing professional development opportunities for clinical staff and offering education and training.
Faculty groups
Adult Lifestyle Incentives for Vitality and Energy
ALIVE is a cross-disciplinary collaboration among our University community that supports health professionals to assist their clients with weight management through lifestyle changes.
Australian Centre for Evidence Based Nutrition and Dietetics
ACEBaND participates in the University of Newcastle evidence-based synthesis group; which is an affiliated centre of the University of Western Sydney in collaboration with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). It is the only centre with an exclusive focus on nutrition internationally.
Chlamydia Research
The Chlamydia Research Group (CRG) is a major research group in the Discipline of Immunology and Microbiology. The group is funded by research grants from the NHMRC, the ARC, the HRC (NZ) and has substantial industry funding and is also part of the HMRI VIVA research group.
Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
The Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB) provides national and international education programs in public health for health professionals and the promotion and delivery of trans-disciplinary research into health and health care.
Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology
The Discipline of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology is a multidisciplinary group of medicines experts spanning the scientific, clinical and social science aspects of medicines development, clinical trials regulation, pricing, clinical use of medicines and pharmaceutical policy.
Clinical Radiation Research
In Radiation Oncology, one patient's care is managed by many: radiation oncologists (doctors), medical physics specialists, radiation therapists and nurses. Administration staff manage the complex task of fitting in so many people to receive their treatment and follow-up, and Clinical Trials Coordinators make sure that when study participants agree to take part in a trial, they know what to expect.
Clinical Toxicology
The Clinical Toxicology Research Group focuses on improving understanding of poisoning and envenoming in patients and undertaking studies to determine the effectiveness of antidotes and antivenoms in treatment of these conditions.
Digital Mental Health Research Group
Led by Professor Rhonda Wilson and involving international and multidisciplinary networks of researchers and collaborating organisations, the Digital Mental Health Research Group is helping to reimagine the way technologies are used to enhance mental health care in Australia and worldwide.
Education and Nursing Research in Child Health
The Centre for Education and Nursing Research in Child Health's aim is to support and encourage nurses working in child and family health, neonatal, paediatric and adolescent health (hereafter termed child health nursing/nurses) to undertake research, ensure nursing practice in these specialty areas is evidence based and build nurses' post graduate education and professional development.
Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy
The Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Research group focuses on research into the use of both ionising and non-ionising radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Mental Health Nursing Research and Practice Development
The program of research operating from the Nursing Research and Practice Development Unit (NRPDU) locates research into mental health nursing within a broad framework of mental health services research. The main focus of the program is to assess the effectiveness of nursing led psychological and psychosocial interventions using qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
Midwifery
The Midwifery Research Group is lead by Dr Virginia Skinner who has worked as a Research Project Officer for Associate Professor Martin Veysey for the previous five years on two studies, one assessing cardiovascular health in an elderly population and the other assessing the relationship between bitter taste, folate intake and the development of bowel polyps before commencing work at the University of Newcastle.
Mothers and Babies
The Mothers and Babies Research Centre is a multidisciplinary group working on maternal, foetal and neonatal health problems.
Nutraceuticals Research
The area of Nutraceuticals has long been the focus of the research group headed by Professor Manohar Garg. Nutraceuticals, dietary supplements and functional foods have been the research focus of the many successful research higher degree students and postdoctoral fellows. This group brings together a number of academic staff members and their research personnel from the Faculty of Health and Medicine, Faculty of Science & IT and Faculty of Education & Arts under one umbrella.
Professional Issues and Acute Care
Researchers involved in Professional Issues and Acute Care are focused on making a difference in the delivery of health services and for health professionals in the clinical environment, often using a multidisciplinary approach.
Speech Pathology
The speech pathology discipline is distinctive in its diversity and focus on the impact of communication disorders and disabilities in everyday life, as well as on key stakeholders supporting them.
Youth Outreach for Diabetes
Young people with type 1 diabetes are transferred from comprehensive outreach paediatric services to adult services at around 18 years of age. Many rural adult services have few resources to specifically support them, and the culture is more focused on compliance and long term complications. Young people are expected to have competent self management skills, which is often not the case as there are limited transition programs within Hunter New England Health. This issue is important as they are life longer users of the health care system.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.