UQ research institutes

The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, is an international leader in research and teaching in a comprehensive range of disciplines, including the biosciences, nanotechnology, sustainable development and social science.

In partnership with government, industry and donors, UQ has developed six globally-recognised Research Institutes:

• Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN);
• Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine;
• Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB);
• Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR);
• Queensland Brain Institute (QBI); and
• Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI).

By combining modern infrastructure with a culture that champions research excellence, the Institutes have attracted a community of more than 1500 scientists, social scientists and engineers. This community will continue to grow as other initiatives, such as the UQ Centre for Clinical Research, come on stream.

The Institutes are today’s flagships of a tradition of research leadership at UQ, where highlights include:

• the discovery of a vaccine for cervical cancer;
• a new technology that has the potential to revolutionise targeted drug delivery;
• contributing to and promoting conflict prevention around the world;
• the identification of a protein that could lead to treatments for serious liver diseases such as hepatitis;
• a much-needed new approach to treating brain tumours; and
• the development of a framework to monitor and report on the community engagement strategies of mining companies.

These and other world-leading discoveries and research projects are highlighted throughout this section of the website. The diverse and interdisciplinary research conducted at the Institutes includes work on kidney, heart and liver disease, dementia, brain injury, artificial blood vessels, inflammation, bioenergy, mineral processing, ageing and community engagement.

Three UQ commercialisation companies manage the Institutes’ intellectual property portfolios. One company, UniQuest, is responsible for commercialisation of research at AIBN, Diamantina, ISSR and QBI, while IMBcom handles commercialisation for IMB, and JKTech Pty Ltd handles commercialisation for SMI. All three companies identify, nurture and protect intellectual property, develop international networks, negotiate and execute licences, and bring investors to create startup enterprises.

Support from the Queensland Government through its Smart State strategies, the Australian Government and major donor The Atlantic Philanthropies is critical to the Institutes’ success.

On this site