The George Institute for Global Health and UNSW announce intention to form research collaboration

The George Institute for Global Health and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) today announced their intention to form a strategic collaboration to bolster high-impact medical research and transform lives around the world, a priority of both organisations.

“UNSW is excited to join forces with The George, a dynamic medical institute with an enviable track record in public and clinical health research and an international reach,” said Professor Ian Jacobs, UNSW President and Vice-Chancellor.

“The George shares our commitment to improve the lives of people around the world. Working together, our innovations and discoveries will have an enormous positive impact on the health of some of the most marginalised communities, a key aspiration of UNSW’s 2025 Strategy.”

As part of the 2025 Strategy, UNSW is making a significant investment in ground-breaking collaborations and world-class research talent.

Professors Stephen MacMahon and Robyn Norton, the founders and Principal Directors of The George Institute, said: “We’re thrilled at the opportunity to collaborate with UNSW – this is a game changer for The George. We see real synergies between our strategic goals and the UNSW strategic vision to transform lives through research.  

“The George is an independent, global medical research institute that prides itself on targeting the world’s biggest health priorities and providing sustainable solutions to improve the health of people all over the world. 

“An academic collaboration will boost our research capacity and allow us to ramp up our projects and research impact dramatically,” said Professors Norton and MacMahon.

Areas of initial research focus are expected to include: non-communicable diseases and injuries; clinical trials; epidemiology and biostatistics; and health systems, health services and ‘big healthcare data’. Other areas to be considered include the health of women, girls and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; research on health-focused social enterprises; and the establishment of a global health policy think tank.  

“These are all critical areas of clinical and public health research that highlight the complementarity of both institutions’ world-class expertise,” said Professor Rodney Phillips, Dean of UNSW Medicine.

“This collaboration will strengthen our capacity to tackle some of the biggest health challenges of the 21st century and make a real difference, which aligns with UNSW Medicine’s research priorities.”

The George Institute is currently affiliated in Australia with the University of Sydney and internationally with a number of leading academic institutions including the University of Oxford and Peking University Health Science Centre.

“We’re very proud of the successes we’ve shared, and the role we’ve had within the University of Sydney,” said Professors MacMahon and Norton. “We look forward to continuing the many fruitful collaborations we have with researchers across the institution. We are very excited by the opportunity to extend our academic collaboration with UNSW."