Murdoch Children's Research Institute - MCRI

Murdoch Children's Research Institute - MCRI Murdoch Children’s Research Institute is dedicated to making discoveries to prevent and treat common and rare childhood conditions.

Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) is Australia's largest child health research institute and is ranked among the top three globally for research quality and impact. Our team of 1,800+ researchers works across over 150 common and rare diseases and conditions affecting children and adolescents. From allergies and asthma, diabetes and mental health issues to cancer and rare genetic disorders, we are relentless in our pursuit to transform child health through research and give all children the opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilled life. Our story began in 1986, when world-leading philanthropist Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and genetics pioneer Professor David Danks imagined a better future for our children and established the original Murdoch Institute for Research in Birth Defects. Since then, MCRI has grown from a genetics research institute to a global leader in child health. Our work also goes beyond research. MCRI is one of the only research institutes in Australia to offer genetic testing via our subsidiary, the Victorian Clinic of Genetic Services (VCGS), to find answers for families of children with previously undiagnosed conditions. Operating in a unique model with The Royal Children's Hospital and the University of Melbourne, MCRI is part of a great circle of healthcare and discovery – helping transform child health from the laboratories to clinics and out into communities.

Meet MCRI’s Gift in Wills Ambassador, Former Governor General, The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO 🌸“Breakthroughs ...
09/09/2025

Meet MCRI’s Gift in Wills Ambassador, Former Governor General, The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO 🌸

“Breakthroughs rarely just happen quickly or out of the blue. They are the result of years and often decades of hard work. Small incremental steps, unspectacular quiet dedication and slow progress. But if you look at where we are today, it is an incredibly exciting picture.”

When you leave a gift in your Will to MCRI, you ensure that this quiet dedication continues. Your legacy helps fund the research teams who keep pushing forward – step by step, year after year – until one day, what once seemed impossible becomes a discovery that changes everything for a child.

That’s the power of a gift in your Will. Write your Will for FREE from 1-15 September with Safewill 👉 https://www.mcri.edu.au/support/include-bequest-in-your-will

Science through the lens of art 🔬✨ The reNEW ARTxSCIENCE Competition is more than just beautiful – it’s a window into gr...
09/09/2025

Science through the lens of art 🔬✨

The reNEW ARTxSCIENCE Competition is more than just beautiful – it’s a window into groundbreaking stem cell research.

Each photo tells a story of what the research focuses on, how it advances knowledge or tackles medical challenges, and where it stands on the journey to clinical impact.

View all the submissions and vote for your favourites 👉 https://renew.science/artxscience/

New hope for children with Batten disease – a group of extremely rare, fatal genetic illnesses that affect the nervous s...
05/09/2025

New hope for children with Batten disease – a group of extremely rare, fatal genetic illnesses that affect the nervous system, with symptoms starting as early as infancy, or later in childhood 💙

The diseases cause a decline in cognitive abilities and fine and gross motor skills, as well as progressive speech and language impairment, which can cause serious communication problems for children.

To help better treat these issues, MCRI researcher Lottie Morison has characterised speech and language in children with two types (CLN2 and CLN3) of the disease for the first time.

The research has identified the specific challenges a child with CLN2 and CLN3 faces which could help improve outcomes for these children.

Listen to Lottie’s interview on the The Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease podcast to learn more 🎧 👉 https://www.mcri.edu.au/impact/watch-listen/listen/guest-podcasters

Music was therapy for Marco until the cruel toll of cancer treatments left his hands unable to play 🎧 Like all children ...
04/09/2025

Music was therapy for Marco until the cruel toll of cancer treatments left his hands unable to play 🎧

Like all children undergoing cancer treatment, the wonders of modern medicine come with a double-edge sword. Within hours of being diagnosed with leukemia, the then 16-year-old, began rigorous rounds of cancer treatments. The treatments saw him achieve remission three months later. But the therapies that saved his life came with devastating side effects.

To help better understand how Marco’s body would respond to treatments and to lessen the side effects, he underwent pharmacogenomic testing within three weeks of the cancer diagnosis. The testing explores how a person's genes are impacted by cancer treatments, leading to more personalised care.

His mum Karen said due to the testing his doctors were able to better tailor his care and medicine dosage levels.

A project led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) has received $1.76 million from the Children's Cancer CoLab to help further pharmacogenomics testing.

Read more about Marco’s cancer recovery and the pioneering genetics project 👉 https://direc.to/nusj

Murdoch Children's Research Institute brings together the brightest minds to tackle the toughest health challenges facin...
01/09/2025

Murdoch Children's Research Institute brings together the brightest minds to tackle the toughest health challenges facing children 💚

From the most common conditions like asthma to the rarest genetic disorders, the work of MCRI is transforming the lives of children today and for future generations.

And during Include A Charity Week, you can be part of that future. By leaving a gift in your will, you'll help transform the lives of children for decades to come 🪴

Write your Will for FREE from 1-15 September with Safewill 👉 https://www.mcri.edu.au/support/include-bequest-in-your-will

Research from the MCRI Stem Cell Medicine theme has made the Nature Biotechnology journal cover, August 2025 edition 🎨 “...
29/08/2025

Research from the MCRI Stem Cell Medicine theme has made the Nature Biotechnology journal cover, August 2025 edition 🎨

“We are so honoured and excited to have our research on creating the world-first’s blood stem cells in the lab to be featured on the front cover of this month’s issue of Nature Biotechnology. We were fortunate to work with the journal editors and a young graphic artist, Nadia Alzoubi, over the past couple of months on this beautiful artwork, which is drawn in the style of Ernst Haeckel (1834 - 1919), a German zoologist who illustrated nature.” – MCRI Professor Andrew Elefanty

Read more about the research related to this cover 👉 https://www.mcri.edu.au/news-stories/blood-stem-cell-breakthrough-could-transform-bone-marrow-transplants

Artwork by Nadia Alzoubi, an emerging artist studying illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Nature

29/08/2025

Today is 💜 a day dedicated to supporting and empowering LGBTIQA+ young people to reach their full potential without fear or limitations.

This year’s theme, “Bold Voices, Bright Futures”, has inspired Parkville Precinct partners to join together to amplify the voices and experiences of LGBTIQA+ team members from services across the precinct 🏥🔬

Their reflections on the question “What is one thing you wuld tell your younger self?” empower LGBTIQA+ young people to know that they are valued, their identity matters, and their future can be full of potential.

This collaboration and these shared voices serve as a reminder that bold voices today help create brighter futures tomorrow 🏳️‍🌈

We are better when we celebrate diversity together ✊🏼

The Royal Melbourne Hospital
The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Oral Health Victoria
The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
The Royal Women's Hospital
The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
WEHI - Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

Raising awareness about allergic disease in Australia 🌏Our allergy experts warn allergic disease cases may continue to r...
28/08/2025

Raising awareness about allergic disease in Australia 🌏

Our allergy experts warn allergic disease cases may continue to rise without greater investment in research and services. Professor Kirsten Perrett, Director of the National Allergy Centre of Excellence, hosted at MCRI, met with MPs at Parliament House yesterday to raise awareness about the chronic condition, which now affects an estimated 8.2 million Australians, and showcase our work to combat the disease.

Read more 👉 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-27/one-third-australians-allergic-disease-18-billion-cost-economy/105704682

Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia Rebecca White National Allergy Council

“We needed timely, consistent advice, backed by the latest research, to keep our daughter safe, especially with plans to...
27/08/2025

“We needed timely, consistent advice, backed by the latest research, to keep our daughter safe, especially with plans to move to the country.”

When Bek’s daughter Abigail had life-threatening egg anaphylaxis she was desperate for answers and information she could trust 👀

Abigail is one in three Australians living with allergy. In fact, 8.2 million people are estimated to live with allergic disease, with the financial burden soaring to $18.9 billion a year – up from 7.8 billion in 2007 – according to a new Deloitte Access Economics report.

Peak allergy bodies – The National Allergy Centre of Excellence (hosted at MCRI) and the National Allergy Council (a partnership between Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia) – will launch the report at Parliament House today 🙌

Read more ➡️ https://direc.to/nv8c

Chelsea was just five years old when she was struck by a four-wheel drive and required emergency brain surgery. She unde...
22/08/2025

Chelsea was just five years old when she was struck by a four-wheel drive and required emergency brain surgery. She underwent a skull reconstruction (cranioplasty) and had damaged brain tissue and excess fluid removed.

She described the aftermath as being “like a newborn baby again.”

Chelsea had to relearn the basics – walking, talking and eating. After years of intensive therapies, Chelsea has gained strength and resilience but still experiences fatigue and muscle weakness.

“The symptoms are constant and I usually need a nap just to get through each day,” she said. “Due to the brain injury I have a left hemiplegia, which is a weakness on the left side of my body. It can be hard to do daily activities with one hand, but I’ve adapted.”

Chelsea, now 19, runs her own online craft shop and mentors other young people who have experienced a brain injury. She also recently took on the role of lived experience advisor with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) ✨

“I know first-hand the great research MCRI is doing to help improve the lives of young people with brain injuries,” she said. “It would be wonderful to see research advance even further to lessen the impact of newly acquired brain damage.”

We share Chelsea's story as part of Brain Injury Awareness Week.

Read more 👉 https://direc.to/nwPc

Heads Together for Brain Injury Synapse

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50 Flemington Road
Parkville, VIC
3052

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