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50 years of research
Posted 23 October 2010
In 2010 PHI is celebrating 50 years of research with several events which recognise our history and achievements.
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History
The origins of PHI go back to the Medical Research Centre established in 1960 at Prince Henry’s Hospital in Melbourne. Today, PHI is based at Monash Medical Centre in Clayton, Victoria.
Over the five decades since conception, our clinical and basic research programs have led to many significant advances in understanding the importance of hormones in health and disease.
1960’s
- a small team of researchers gain international recognition in the study of hormones
- researchers pioneer new diagnostic approaches for common hormone disorders
1970’s
- developed systems to accurately measure reproductive hormones in men and women
- research grows with new teams who examine role of hormones beyond reproductive health and fertility issues
- discoveries translated into clinical care when a new infertility clinic for couples established
1980’s
- researchers tease apart how hormones are critical in common conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease
- discoveries challenge understandings of how hormones work in the body and what happens to hormones in disease
- a world first when the reproductive hormone inhibin purified and characterised
1990’s
- our research is key in the development of a brand new class of drugs to treat breast cancer
- the inhibin research leads to a commercial blood test for ovarian cancer
2005
- new protein analysis facility offers insights into detecting reproductive health conditions
2010
- nanotechnologies are refined to detect the very smallest cancer proteins
- part of an international partnership trialling a reversible hormone based contraceptive for men
- tantalising close to a better detection test for ovarian cancer, in its very earliest stages
- a vision to develop a health research precinct in South East Melbourne where research discoveries are rapidly translated into clinical care