About IHMRI

Our Illawarra Context
Vision and Mission
Key Strategies
Governance and Structure
Staff

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI) was established in 2008 as a partnership between the University of Wollongong (UOW) and the South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service (SESIAHS).

Excellence and innovation

IHMRI aims to create a centre of research excellence and innovation - a focal point for all health and medical research in the Illawarra region and a nationally and internationally recognised contributor to important research agendas. Building on a track record of discovery and innovation within the health service and university sectors, IHMRI is providing valuable leadership, resources, facilities and services to support and expand existing research groups, to develop capacity and attract new expertise to the region, and to foster local, national and international collaborations.

A regional focus

IHMRI’s main point of difference as a health and medical research institute is its regional community-centred focus. It is committed to applying research to improve the health status of local residents. By encouraging close collaboration between academic and clinical research efforts IHMRI works to achieve results that are directly applicable to clinical practice and health service delivery, leading to improvements in the health of the local community.

Our research program

IHMRI is developing a broad based research program that:

• is shaped by health status and disease prevalence within the Illawarra population (typically representing well recognised national and international problems)
• draws upon and further develops research capability within local institutions
• addresses specific needs and issues within the Illawarra context
• directly and measurably improves clinical practice and health services in the Illawarra region
• will significantly improve the health and well being of the local community.

A flagship of IHMRI’s research program is its population health laboratory, which represents a unique approach to monitoring health status to assess the impact of policy directions and interventions and identifying research directions with specific relevance to the Illawarra population.