MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES ASSOCIATION RESPONDS TO DRAFT NATIONAL RESEARCH STRATEGY National workforce plan welcomed, though concern remains on the indirect costs of research
With
Dr Saraid Billiards,
Chief Executive Officer
Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI)
SEGMENT
Filmed in Melbourne | October 2025
On 27 August 2025, the Minister for Health, Disability and Ageing announced the release of the draft National Health and Medical Research Strategy (the National Strategy).
The aims of the National Strategy are to build on Australia’s strengths in health and medical research and leverage Australia’s world leading research capability.
The developed strategy aims to attract researchers and investors, strengthen coordination and impact and improve health outcomes in communities.
Involved in the initial consultation phase, was the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI), the peak body for medical research institutes across Australia. Member institutes work on a broad spectrum of human health issues such as preventive health, chronic disease, mental health, immunology and Indigenous health. Their research ranges from fundamental biomedical discovery through to clinical research and the translation of research findings.
AAMRI CEO Dr Saraid Billiards has been working Health, Ageing and Disability Minister, The Hon Mark Butler MP, his office and subsequently with Ms Rosemary Huxtable AO, who in November 2024 was appointed to develop the National Health and Medical Research Strategy.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Dr Billiards about the advocacy work of AAMRI, the reviews, reports, announcements and Phase 1 consultation period leading to the draft release. Consultation on the draft Strategy is open until 8 October 2025.
Source: Adapted from AAMRI release, NHMRC news story and Department of Health, Disability & Aged Care website.
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The role of genomic screening in transforming public health
Dr Jane Tiller is a lawyer, genetic counsellor and public health researcher. She is Ethical, Legal & Social Adviser in Public Health Genomics at Monash University, and a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant holder. Jane is passionate about the use of genomics to prevent disease, and in delivering equitable access to preventive genetic information at the population level. She is co-lead of DNA Screen, a world-first study piloting the offer of preventive DNA screening to the Australian adult population. DNA Screen has tested over 10,000 young people for genetic high risk of medically actionable conditions such as cancer and heart disease, finding about 2% of participants had genetic high risk. Jane is leading efforts to secure Commonwealth Government funding to expand the DNA Screen program, with the eventual goal of the development of a public health population screening program for disease prevention based on high genetic risk.
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Clinical pain neuroscientist talks about how the brain processes pain information
Persistent pain affects one in five Australians and costs the nation an estimated $73 billion per year in health system costs, lost productivity and other financial costs.
Persistent pain also has debilitating personal costs – negatively impacting quality of life and the ability to engage in meaningful work and life activities.
Despite the enormity of this problem, very few effective treatments exist with most showing only small to moderate improvements. New treatments are desperately needed. The group believes the best way to create impactful change is to work with people with lived experience of persistent pain to devise solutions with them, not for them.
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Cardiovascular Disease Risk Guidance and Calculator get long overdue update
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for significant morbidity and premature mortality in Australia. Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in 2020 and cerebrovascular disease was the third most common cause of death.
As the first major update to Australian CVD risk assessment guidelines in over a decade, the 2023 Australian Guideline for assessing and managing cardiovascular disease risk and associated Aus CVD Risk Calculator reflect the latest evidence on assessing, communicating, and managing CVD risk. Developed using Australian-specific data and the latest evidence, it supersedes the 2012 Guidelines for the management of absolute cardiovascular disease risk.
