Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI)

Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) Everyday, we're taking healthy further. Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) exists to transform the health and wellbeing of our communities.

As the largest regional medical research institute in Australia, since 1998 our groundbreaking work has changed the lives of so many. We could never have done it alone. HMRI has been about collaboration from day one, when a group of world-class researchers, health professionals and community leaders created an organisation to make a positive impact on peoples’ lives. The unique partnership with ou

r local health district, university and community, has enabled us to punch above our weight and work together in agile ways to tackle the biggest health issues of our time. We remain focused on innovation and medical research that’s relevant to everyday life. Our world leading experts collaborate across multi-disciplinary teams with one goal: to help our community be healthier and live their best lives. We’re working in the lab and beyond. We’re thinking long term. We’re always listening and learning from our community to help us shape our research priorities, so we can make sure we’re providing impact where it’s needed most. At HMRI, every day we’re taking healthy further.

02/06/2026

Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in Australia. University of Newcastle, Australia and HMRI gut health researcher, Dr Kerith Duncanson, has spent 30 years working to change that. Then she became a patient herself.

After a routine bowel screen found 10 polyps, one cancerous, Kerith faced the same diagnosis she'd dedicated her career to understanding. Now she's using that experience to drive research into diet, gut health and digestive disorders that could change outcomes for thousands of Australians.

Learn more about Kerith's story and support her research here https://okt.to/6jTEbt

The Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program aims to reduce deaths from bowel cancer by detecting early signs of the disease. If found early, more than 90% of cases can be successfully treated. Eligible Australians aged 45 to 74 can do a free test at home every 2 years. Learn about the program and how to do the test at https://okt.to/b7JdXR

We are absolutely thrilled to introduce the six researchers selected for the second year of the Newcastle Permanent Inno...
02/06/2026

We are absolutely thrilled to introduce the six researchers selected for the second year of the Newcastle Permanent Innovators Program!

Meet Dr Stuart Szwec, Dr Meg Lim, Dr Gabriela Martins Costa Gomes, Dr Geshani Jayasuriya, Dr Heather Murray and Dr Alexandre Xavier. Together they are working on innovations spanning wound care, infant respiratory risk, childhood cancer financial support, radiation-free lung imaging, precision leukaemia treatment and genomics analysis.

Selected from across HMRI, The University of Newcastle, Australia and Hunter New England Local Health District research community, all six were chosen for the potential of their ideas to make a genuine difference to patient outcomes.

Over six weeks they will move through tailored innovation modules, expert guidance and pitch development, culminating in a Showcase in August where four participants will receive $20,000 seed grants and two will be awarded $100,000 Newcastle Permanent Innovator Fellowships.

Thank you to Newcastle Permanent for believing in local researchers and backing their work for a second year running. We cannot wait to see what this cohort achieves!

Learn more: https://okt.to/TuXP1c

What a day out on the course!Despite the rain and wind, our players, sponsors and supporters showed up in full force for...
28/05/2026

What a day out on the course!
Despite the rain and wind, our players, sponsors and supporters showed up in full force for the HMRI Charity Golf Day, proudly sponsored by Helicopter Lifting Services, and the result speaks for itself. Together, you helped fund vital medical research right here in our region.

Congratulations to our prize winners and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who teed up for a cause that truly matters. We are so proud of this community!

A huge thank you to our event partner Helicopter Lifting Services, our prize partners BIG4 Holiday Parks, Drummond Golf and Pacific Dunes, and the generous volunteers from NGM Group and Myrtec who gave their time on the day.

Thank you also to our hole sponsors: Design build play, Hunter Valley Modular Homes, Novatherm Boilers and Combustion, Versair, Oddfish Media , Drummond Golf, JD Electrical Group, Newcastle Concrete Resurfacing, Bella Group Services, Novamech, Red Funnel and Hunter Eco Plumbing Drainage & Relining.

26/05/2026

New research is shedding light on the deep biological connection between mental and physical health.

Dr Dylan Kiltschewskij from The University of Newcastle, Australia and HMRI Precision Medicine and Health research program has built a genetic atlas linking hundreds of blood-based metabolites to 10 major psychiatric conditions, published in Molecular Psychiatry.

The study found evidence that things like omega-3 fatty acids, cholesterol and other markers may actually play a causal role in conditions including ADHD, depression and anorexia, with some metabolites also linked to differences in brain structure that could point to a biological pathway between metabolism and mental health.

Because many of these metabolites can be influenced through diet, lifestyle or existing medications, the findings could open new doors for prevention and treatment.

Read the full article: https://okt.to/yCmqgH

21/05/2026

At HMRI, volunteers are at the heart of what we do.

You will find our volunteers across the entire organisation. From Board Directors and Foundation Members who contribute their expertise and leadership, to researchers, business professionals, teachers, healthcare providers, and homemakers who give their time across back-office administration, events, open days, and community engagement.

The breadth of experience they bring is extraordinary, and their generosity makes HMRI what it is.

Carole Obre is one of those people. This year marks her 20th year volunteering with us, and her passion for research is as strong as ever.

This National Volunteers Week, thank you to Carole and every member of our volunteer family. We are so grateful to have you!

20/05/2026

Behind every clinical trial is a team of people helping guide, support and care for participants through every step of their journey.

This International Clinical Trials Day, we’re celebrating the incredible clinical trial nurses across the region who help bring research to life.

From offering emotional support during difficult moments, to helping connect people with innovative new treatments and opportunities, clinical trial nurses play a vital role in improving health outcomes for our community.

Clinical trials don’t happen without people the participants who volunteer in the hope of helping others, and the dedicated teams who support them every step of the way.

13/05/2026

Breathe 4 Bub is built with community, not just for it.
The program is co-designing a model of asthma care that is both clinically effective and culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women during pregnancy.

Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory condition among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with hospitalisation and mortality rates twice that of non-Indigenous Australians.

Yet very little is known about asthma specifically during pregnancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. That gap in knowledge, and in care, is what this program led by researchers from HMRI and the University of Newcastle set out to address.

We spoke with three members of the team: Dr Elissa Elvidge, researcher and registered nurse Kiara Harvey, and researcher Kerri Shying.

Between them, they bring clinical expertise, cultural knowledge and lived experience of asthma during pregnancy.

Learn how Breathe for Bub is being built with community: https://okt.to/Z9f3Bl

Meet Kelly, Sue, Shaylee, Nat and Rachel - some of the friendly faces you may encounter when participating in a research...
12/05/2026

Meet Kelly, Sue, Shaylee, Nat and Rachel - some of the friendly faces you may encounter when participating in a research study or clinical trial at HMRI or at the John Hunter Hospital.

Like nurses everywhere, they play an important role in caring for and supporting people through some of life’s most challenging moments.

Here at HMRI and Hunter New England Local Health District, as clinical trial nurses, they also help bring research to life. They support participants with care and compassion, guiding them through their trial journey, and helping turn research discoveries into better treatments for our community.

This International Nurses Day, we’re celebrating and thanking all nurses for the commitment, expertise and dedication they bring every single day to patients and their families here in the Hunter New England area and beyond!

Your kid's Saturday sport is doing more than you think ⛹️New research led by Professor Narelle Eather from the Universit...
11/05/2026

Your kid's Saturday sport is doing more than you think ⛹️

New research led by Professor Narelle Eather from the University of Newcastle and HMRI's Global Sports and Movement Collaborative reviewed more than 30 years of evidence on sport and young people's mental health.

Team sport in particular was consistently linked to higher self-esteem, lower anxiety and depression, stronger friendships and a greater sense of belonging in children and young people aged 5 to 17.

Team sports also outperformed individual sports across the board, and the researchers say the social side of sport is likely the reason why. Feeling accepted, valued and part of a group turns out to be a pretty powerful thing for a young person's mental health.

Professor Eather and the team are clear that the environment has to be right. Inclusive, supportive and well-run programs are what make these outcomes possible, which puts a lot in the hands of the coaches, clubs and communities around our kids.

Read the full story: https://okt.to/5o2Hwr

Address

1 Kookaburra Cct
New Lambton, NSW
2305

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

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+611300993822

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