About Us
Overview
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) was the first medical research institute to be established in Australia. It was founded in 1915 with funds from a Trust established by Eliza Hall following the death of her husband Walter Hall, a pioneering transport, livestock and mining entrepreneur. Ever since that time, the Institute has held fast to the vision of its founders – ‘to be the birthplace of discoveries rendering signal service to mankind in the prevention and removal of disease and the mitigation of suffering.’
The Institute’s principal research laboratories are located in Parkville, close to the centre of Melbourne, opposite the University of Melbourne and adjacent to The Royal Melbourne Hospital. It also operates a Biotechnology Centre within La Trobe University’s R&D Park at Bundoora and the Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Laboratories in Kew.
The Institute is incorporated in Victoria as a not-for-profit Public Company Limited by Guarantee. It is governed by a strong independent Board led by Mr Leon Davis, and is endorsed as a tax-exempt charity with deductible gift recipient status. The Director is medical researcher Professor Douglas Hilton.
The Institute is affiliated with The University of Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne Hospital and offers postgraduate training as the Department of Medical Biology of The University of Melbourne.
Currently, the Institute has a scientific and support staff of over 600 and a research expenditure of around $70 million, mostly derived from competitive national and international grants. Eight Research Divisions, housing around 50 Laboratories, continue a strong tradition of collaboration and interdisciplinary programs. In addition to its longstanding strengths in cellular and molecular biology, the Institute has embraced genomics, bioinformatics, structural biology and medicinal chemistry. Its scientific publication citation rate is the highest of any Australian research organisation.
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute has always reached out into both the medical and the commercial world to achieve its overarching goal of improving human health. Its Clinical Translation Centre provides a hub of interaction between clinicians and scientists and several faculty members hold joint appointments in The Royal Melbourne Hospital. A highly effective Technology Transfer office guides collaborations and licensing of a notable intellectual property portfolio to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Mindful of its responsibility for science education, the Institute provides superb postgraduate research training; partners an innovative science education centre, GTAC, for school students and their teachers; and offers public lectures and science discovery tours for the community. It also supports a unique science animation program, WEHI-TV.
Mission
Mastery of Disease Through Discovery
Objectives
- Internationally competitive research into basic biological mechanisms and causes of ill-health and disease
- Translation of new knowledge for the improvement of human health and welfare
- Excellence in research training
- Promotion of science education and communication
