Alfred Health News

Harnessing Victoria's neurotrauma expertise is the focus of a multi-million dollar grant received by the National Trauma Research Institute (NTRI).

Funded by the TAC, the $3.34m grant cements more than a decade of leadership of traumatic brain injury research on The Alfred precinct, and will draw together some of the campus' brightest minds in the field.

NTRI director and Alfred surgeon, Professor Russell Gruen said that central to the grant will be the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Traumatic Brain Injury.  The three year project will bring together research leaders to foster multidisciplinary collaboration, host brain injury experts from around the world, and help to train the next generation of research leaders.

"This is formal recognition of individuals who have been involved in game changing brain injury research over many years," Russell said.

Named on the grant are Professor Russell Gruen, Professor Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Professor Peter Cameron, Professor Jamie Cooper, A/Prof Cristina Morganti-Kossmann, A/Prof Mark Fitzgerald, Professor Steve Bernard and Professor Jennie Ponsford.

"We have a world class team with expertise spanning acute pre-hospital and emergency care, and all the aspects of hospital-based treatment through to rehabilitation and recovery," Russell said.

The centre is a collaborative project between The Alfred, Monash University, the TAC and their various entities who have been leading this work. Ultimately, it's about improving outcomes through better management of injured patients.

In addition to the Centre of Excellence are two additional components to the grant - the development of the NTRI Forum and creation of the Victorian Neurotrauma Council.

The NTRI Forum will realise value from research through knowledge translation and undertake collective problem solving of the big issues across all aspects of the management of brain injury and spinal cord injury.

The Victorian Neurotrauma Council will provide expert and reasoned advice on neurotrauma research, practice and policy for the TAC and broader community.