The values we believe in guide our work at The George Institute. We oppose discrimination of any kind.

We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and against the unjust treatment towards any marginalised group.

Solidarity is key to challenging injustice. We all must get comfortable having uncomfortable conversations. Racism is an insidious disease that no one is immune to and we each have a role in being a part of the cure.

As an Australian founded and headquartered organisation we must reflect upon Australia’s history and ongoing racism towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody there have been over 432 deaths in custody of First Nations Peoples within Australia. Now more than ever we must acknowledge this injustice and take meaningful steps to reconcile systemic racism.  

The George Institute heeds the words of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as expressed within the Uluru Statement from the Heart, “It captures our aspirations for a fair and truthful relationship with the people of Australia and a better future for our children based on justice and self-determination.”

As we come to the end of the annual Reconciliation Week in Australia, we must remember that true reconciliation means committing to ongoing reflection, ongoing listening and ongoing action. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

The George Institute has announced a new trial to test whether common blood pressure medications reduce the duration and severity of lung failure due to COVID-19 will be supported by government funding.

The CLARITY trial, led by Associate Professor Meg Jardine from The George Institute for Global Health and UNSW Medicine, will receive $1.4 million from the Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

The group of blood pressure medications – angiotensin receptor blockers or ARBs - have been in clinical use for over 30 years, are well-understood, and widely available at low cost. They protect against lung injury in animal studies, including injury from viruses like the COVID-19 virus, although the effect in humans is not known.

A/Prof Jardine said that if the trial shows they are beneficial, the results could be widely implemented into clinical care almost immediately.

“The threat of COVID-19 outbreaks will remain with us for some time. Repurposed medications that can lessen the duration and severity of COVID-19 disease will provide some relief whilst vaccines are being developed,” she said.

The nation’s medical researchers, including those at The George Institute, have been mobilising rapidly to attempt to lessen the human cost of COVID-19.

“This virus is a huge concern for consumers, particularly for people already living with health conditions,” commented David Morgan, the lead consumer representative on the study team.

“Engaging with patients and consumer representatives throughout the whole process will help optimise research outcomes, and is possible, even in urgent situations such as this one,” he said.

The trial, also supported by The Institute’s Professors Christine Jenkins, Simon Finfer and Vivekanand Jha, Dr Sradha Kotwal, Associate Professor Gian Luca Di Tanna and Carinna Hockham, will commence this month.