SMARTER INVESTMENT IN THE RESEARCH LONG GAME Government support for health and medical researchers and innovators needing investment cycle review
With
Nadia Levin, CEO
Research Australia
OP-ED SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | April 2026
In this Op-Ed, Nadia Levin, CEO of Research Australia, spoke with the Australian Health Journal about the need for smarter and more strategic investment in Australia’s health and medical research sector.
Levin argued that Australia’s approach to health and medical research has been shaped too heavily by short-term political cycles rather than a long-term national vision. She emphasised that meaningful progress in science, innovation, and healthcare requires sustained investment over many years.
According to Levin, health and medical research should not be viewed simply as a social good, but as a major driver of economic growth, productivity, and national resilience. She highlighted that every preventable hospital admission, faster diagnosis, or locally developed medical product contributes to economic performance.
Research Australia estimates that for every dollar invested in health and medical research, the Australian economy receives around four dollars in return.
Levin pointed to Australia’s past achievements, including the development of IVF, the cochlear implant, the HPV vaccine, and ultrasound imaging, as examples of how research can improve lives while creating industries and export opportunities.
A major focus in the need to strengthen the entire research pipeline, from early-stage discovery through to clinical translation, commercialisation, and integration into healthcare systems. Research Australia in a media release March 2026, noted that while the Medical Research Future Fund was created to distribute around $1 billion annually, it is currently providing only about $650 million each year despite holding approximately $24.5 billion.
Levin referenced costings from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), commissioned by Dr Monique Ryan MP, showing the fund could distribute up to $1.4 billion annually without reducing its capital base, arguing that the money, demand, and need already exist, but stronger government commitment is required.
Source: Adapted from Research Australia media release March 2026
-
Career advice from an Emergency Physician in Research
Associate Professor Viet Tran, an experienced emergency physician at the Royal Hobart Hospital. He spoke with Australian Health Journal about the crucial role of emergency departments as the frontline of hospitals, providing immediate care, diagnosis, resuscitation, and serving as a safety net for the healthcare system. Prof. Tran highlights the importance of understanding the daily responsibilities and core aspects of a specialty when choosing a medical career.
-
The Case for Embedded Pharmacy in Residential Aged Care
Embedded pharmacy in residential aged care has been successful in South Australia at the Tanunda Lutheran Home in the Barossa Valley. Julian Soriano talks about his pharmacy role in medication management and medication safety to deliver the best clinical care for residents.
In this segment, Julian talks about the traditional pharmacy model serving residential aged care and the limitations of the imprest process for dispensing medication. Soon into the project he saw the collaboration required with GPs and onsite nurses in dispensing medication for residents in end-of-life or palliative care. Julian sees the imprest process unable to support end-of-life residents, even being able to check the availability of medication.
But what most may not be aware of, is his rapid growth since starting the business in 2013 having just been in health care a few years earlier. Being part of a 2nd generation health care family, Shawn learnt from his father on site and at trade show visits overseas. Prior to HPA, he spent 2 years working in fit-outs of operating theatres, neo-natal and general population ICU, throughout being more fascinated with what he saw. -
Interventional radiologists offer alternative to hysterectomy
In Australia in the last five years, an estimated 6066 women per year have undergone hysterectomies to treat fibroid-related diseases, while just 145 women each year have undergone a uterine artery embolisation, or UAE.
The procedure can effectively treat the majority of bleeding uterine fibroids. Each year, thousands of Australian women undergo invasive and life-altering hysterectomies to treat debilitating pain and blood loss caused by uterine fibroids. But there’s another option: a minimally invasive, pin-hole procedure that treats the symptoms, yet leaves the uterus intact.
