A leading expert in the areas of cancer, chronic pain and head injuries will be the new CEO and Director of Research for the Translational Research Institute (TRI).
Professor Carolyn Mountford will replace Professor Ian Frazer at TRI, which is co-owned by the University of Queensland, in February 2015.
TRI Chair Dr David Watson said Professor Frazer, inventor of the Gardasil vaccine and a UQ professor, was stepping down to focus on his research but would continue to be an ambassador for TRI.
“Professor Mountford is a world-leading expert in magnetic resonance (MR), in particular spectroscopy, and brings new international connections and expertise to TRI,” Dr Watson said.
“She is the holder of five significant patents in the areas of cancer, chronic pain, head injury and MR, with a further five patents pending.
“She has authored or co-authored more than 180 peer-reviewed articles and attracted $US39 million in funding.”
Professor Mountford said she was looking forward to joining TRI, praising the institute’s emphasis on translating research into improved patient care.
“To achieve this we need multidisciplinary research and we need to encourage our researchers to foster international and commercial collaborations,” Professor Mountford said.
“Australia needs to rethink the way it funds new scientific ideas, and provide funds in a timeframe that ensures we are competitive internationally”.
Professor Mountford and her team are working to improve MR spectroscopy technology and broaden its medical application.
Their work has already resulted in techniques used by research centres and hospitals for patients with cancer, brain tumours and neurologic and psychological disorders.
The USA and Australian military have contracted Professor Mountford’s team to develop a new MR in vivo approach that diagnoses changes to brain chemistry associated with brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder, with the aim of developing new therapeutic approaches.
Professor Mountford was Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School until 2013, and is currently Director of Boston's Centre for Clinical Spectroscopy at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
She will join TRI from the University of Newcastle, where she is Professor of Radiology and Director of the Centre for MR in Health.
MEDIA: TRI Communications and Marketing Director Louise Morland, 0417 679 306, louise.morland@tri.edu.com.au.
