We work with many multinational pharmaceutical, biotechnology and device companies, as well as contract research organisations to provide information to regulatory bodies such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Food and Drug Administration.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) is a leading research institution through collaborations with foundations, research institutes, universities, health services and government to foster and promote medical research locally. 

The RMH is based in the heart of the leading Melbourne Biomedical Precinct, which has established itself as a major global research and teaching powerhouse with a formidable history of groundbreaking major discoveries and developments.

University partners

We have strong relationships with leading universities and academic institutions across clinical specialties for undergraduate students, staff, postgraduate students and external health professionals. Our enduring partnership with The University of Melbourne has been in place for nearly 150 years.

Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre and VCCC Alliance

The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) was established in 2009 and is a powerful alliance of 10 successful Victorian organisations committed to cancer control:

  • Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
  • The RMH
  • The University of Melbourne
  • The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
  • The Royal Women’s Hospital
  • The Royal Children’s Hospital
  • Western Health
  • St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (including St Vincent's Institute)
  • Austin Health (including the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and Austin LifeSciences)
  • Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Collaborations

ACRF Centre for Translational Research

Established in 2013, the ACRF Centre for Translational Research is led by Professor David Ritchie, Head of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Deputy Head of Clinical Haematology. The laboratory focuses on translational and biomarker research in blood cancers and bone marrow failure disorders treated using novel therapies and/or bone marrow transplantation.

ACRF Centre for Therapeutic Target Discovery

Led by the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and located at the RMH Parkville, this centre is a collaboration designed to maximise shared resources for cancer research.

BioGrid Australia Limited

BioGrid Australia operates a federated data-sharing platform for collaborative translational health and medical research providing a secure infrastructure that advances health research by linking privacy-protected and ethically approved data among a wide network of health collaborators including the RMH.

Biomedical Research Victoria

This group is the state’s leading network of universities, academic hospitals, medical research institutes, CSIRO and other research organisations. Biomedical Research Victoria’s vision is for the Victorian health and medical research sector to be a global leader in innovation, to improve health and to create wealth.

Doherty Institute

The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity is a joint venture between the University of Melbourne and the RMH. There are four Doherty units with a presence in the RMH: Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL), WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Victorian Infectious Diseases Service (VIDS) and Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System.

Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration

The Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration (MARC) aims to improve the lives of older people through the rapid translation of research into policy and practice to influence systemic change. MARC is a unique consortium of partners, bringing together health and aged care services, universities, research and advocacy organisations and the broader community.

Melbourne Brain Centre

Based at the RMH, research by Melbourne Brain Centre scientists focuses on the prevention, early diagnosis or early disease indicators/biomarkers, and treatment of complex, debilitating and sometimes life-threatening brain disorders. These include stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders, psychiatric disorders, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, neurodegenerative disorders, and brain tumours.

Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance

The Alliance includes the RMH, the Royal Children’s Hospital, the University of Melbourne, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the CSIRO, the Australian Genome Research Facility, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Austin Health and Monash Health. The alliance is dedicated to bringing global knowledge of genomics to benefit the individual care of Victorians, and the vision is for Victoria to be a world leader in using genomics in health care.

MSBase Registry

The MSBase Registry is a unique international collaboration dedicated to sharing, tracking and evaluating outcomes data in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neuroimmunological diseases. The MSBase Foundation has collaborated with participating MS physicians and their healthcare teams to collate the largest international repository of longitudinal, 'real-world' MS patient data. The RMH Neuroimmunology Centre is the largest Australian contributor of data to the registry, and the CORe (Clinical Outcomes Research unit) has led some of the most impactful research that originated from this collaboration.

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute

The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute is Australia's oldest medical research institute. It was founded in 1915 with financial support from a trust established by Eliza Hall, after the death of her husband Walter. The vision was for an institute that 'will be the birthplace of discoveries rendering signal service to mankind in the prevention and removal of disease and the mitigation of suffering'. The Institute is affiliated with the RMH and the University of Melbourne.

Western & Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service

Commonly known as WCMICS, the service is a partnership between seven public healthcare organisations – the RMH, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Royal Women's Hospital, St Vincent's Hospital, Mercy Health, Western Health and Djerriwarrh Health Services – directed by the vision outlined in the WCMICS 2015-18 Strategic Plan and the Victorian Government's Cancer Action Plan.

Last updated 25 September 2023