History

In 2010 Prince Henry's Institute (PHI) celebrates fifty years

The past five decades have seen major discoveries, impacting the lives of tens of millions of people across the globe.

Some highlights include:

• New technologies developed by PHI researchers to detect common hormone deficiencies.

• We were part of a team of researchers that, after several decades of intensive research, discovered the reproductive hormone inhibin. This hormone was later used by PHI researchers to produce the first blood test for ovarian cancer.

• PHI research played a key part in the development of a brand new class of drugs to treat breast cancer - aromatase inhibitors.

• PHI studies have proven how the aromatase gene plays an essential role in breast cancer development, sperm formation and the metabolism of body fat.

• PHI jointly developed and commercialised a biochemical test for the detection of endometrial cancer.

• PHI studies have led to a new hormonal method of contraception for men which has shown this can be an effective approach. We are now leading the Australian arm of a major international late-stage clinical trial of male contraception.

PHI can trace it's history back almost 50 year to the medical research laboratories situated at Prince Henry's Hospital in South Melbourne.

In 1960 the Medical Research Centre at Prince Henry's Hospital was established. In the late 1980's Prince Henry's Hospital was amalgamated along with the Queen Victoria Medical Centre and Moorabbin Hospital to form the Monash Medical Centre.

In 1991, the research activities of the newly formed Prince Henry's Institute for Medical Research moved to custom research facilities at Monash Medical Centre in Clayton.