Alfred Research Alliance 2025 highlights

Across our core research strengths — from confronting major diseases like heart disease and cancer to advancing public health and prevention — our researchers are delivering real, measurable impact for all Australians.

These capabilities are strengthened through the shared expertise of the Alfred Research Alliance member organisations: Alfred Health, Monash University, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Burnet Institute, Deakin University, La Trobe University, Nucleus Network and 360biolabs.

Each member is a leader in healthcare, education, or medical research. But our true strength lies in what happens when we come together. By uniting our complementary capabilities across research, education, and clinical excellence, we create a powerful partnership—and outcomes that none of us could achieve alone.

Below is a snapshot of the impact we’ve made this year — achievements that reflect the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to improving health.

• We had 748 clinical trials open across 31 clinical trial units — including 120 first-in-human studies
• 360Biolabs enabled and support 250 of these trials
• Our researchers collectively published 2,807 research papers and 2,170 original research articles
• We established and recruited three new Professor of Nursing positions, with a fourth to be appointed in 2026. These roles play a vital part in bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world healthcare
• We welcomed 1,328 students to our campus
• Nucleus Network acquired Hammersmith Medicines Research, extending their footprint from Australia and the US into the UK
• Two ARA researchers received global media attention for their breakthrough discovery explaining why more than 50% of women treated for bacterial vaginosis (BV) experience a recurrence within three months
• Alliance partners secured $332M in total external funding
• 21 researchers across the Alliance were awarded over $42.9 million in NHMRC Investigator Grants to tackle pressing health issues such as epilepsy, diabetes, lung cancer, HIV, and hepatitis c and b
• 2025 marks 30 years of partnership between La Trobe University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery and Alfred Health
• World-first clinical trials opened across cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dermatology, and neuroscience
• The Alfred became the first public hospital in the state to install a total-body Quadra PET scanner – the fastest and most precise of its kind
• The transition to form Bayside Health — comprising Alfred Health, Peninsula Health, Bass Coast Health, Gippsland Southern Health, and Kooweerup Regional Health Service — commenced and will become official on January 1, 2026. This will expand our community to 1.2 million with a staff of 22,000