News
New appointment to drive expansion of research and improve patient outcomes
Aug 25, 2022
Eminent professor of paediatrics and co-founder of the ORIGINs project, Professor Desiree Silva, has been appointed to the inaugural role of Director of Research at Joondalup Health Campus (JHC).
Professor Silva’s appointment will support JHC in its quest to embed research into clinic care as it expands to one of the largest hospitals in Australia.
Professor Silva was instrumental in securing the support of the Paul Ramsay Foundation and Australian Government for the ORIGINS Project, a collaboration with Telethon Kids Institute which has put JHC firmly on the world research stage as it follows 10,000 children from their time in the womb, over a decade to improve child and adult health.
“It has been a great privilege to have been supported by JHC in leading the ORIGINS Project which has recruited more than 7,000 families and includes 40 nested sub-projects, and I am so excited for the possibilities that lie ahead as I step into this new role,” Prof. Silva said.
“The Campus is ideally placed to become a more significant contributor to research and clinical trials in Perth’s northern suburbs, as part of the broader Ramsay Research Unit which plays a leading role in the medical research sector in Australia.”
Prof. Silva qualified in the UK and undertook her paediatric specialist training in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. She has a strong interest in child mental health and is an advocate for education and evidence based management of conditions such as ADHD and autism.
As the Director of Research, Prof. Silva is keen to see research at JHC spanning all life stages from womb to grave embedded in clinical care, and the establishment of a clinical trials unit.
JHC CEO Dr Amanda Ling said Prof. Silva was highly respected by colleagues and ideally suited to leading JHC’s research development.
“JHC has a strong commitment to research. Last year there were more than 130 research projects underway spanning over 20 specialties, 23 clinical trials underway and more than 2,500 research participants recruited,” she said.
“The appointment of Prof. Silva to the newly created Director of Research position will assist us to identify, develop and fund research activities which are so critical to improving our patient’s outcomes.
“I am so proud of the research that our staff are already undertaking and the collaborations underway within Western Australia, nationally and internationally, and that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we can achieve as the hospital grows.”