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
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Australian Healthcare Week 2019: Pitch Fest Finalist Lumin
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Managing Director and Co-Founder Paul Wilson spoke at the Mepacs booth with Anne Dao from Australian Health Journal about the market they target and the design of the user experience, including the remote servicing and monitoring. The integration allows the monitoring team in the call centre see and hear the personal raising the alarm. Mepacs is a provider of personal duress alarms and have teamed up with Lumin.
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Making clinical trials participant friendly
Clinical trials are essential in developing new, improved, and more effective treatments and interventions. Without trials, researchers and professionals in the field cannot properly determine whether these new treatments and interventions are safe and effective.
The Clinials platform is geared towards patient centric trials and reducing site burden. The aim is to accelerate lifesaving medicines coming to market by connecting participants and researchers. The platform allows participants to come to researchers with their eligibility in hand among other capabilities.
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Reporting on Australian childhood visual impairment: the first 10 years
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