Student Opportunities

Message from the Director

Hi, my name is Chris Cowell and as Director of Kids Research Institute (KRI) at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, I hope that you may be interested in undertaking research in paediatrics. We can offer opportunities for you in a wide range of projects led by scientists with a passion for child health research

Research staff at Kids Research Institute and the University of Sydney Medical School recognise the importance of finding a project that you will find both stimulating and challenging. At the Kids Research Institute we are dedicated to improving health outcomes for children by excellence in translational research. Our research activity includes laboratory sciences to clinical and population health research.

Our basic science researchers are enhancing the understanding and developing new treatments for neuromuscular conditions, congenital heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, orthopaedics, viral infections, neuroinflammation, and wound healing. Our leadership in population health research is nationally and internationally recognised with the Cochrane Centre for Kidney Research, the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance and the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit. Our clinical research program addresses many of the serious health problems experienced by children and our clinical research staff every day in their work at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.

Staff at the Kids Research Institute are leaders in their fields and a number of them have been honoured in the last 12 months for their achievements.

Professor David Little received two prestigious awards in recognition for his contribution to Orthopaedics. These awards include the John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons for 2011, the College's most prestigious scholarship, for outstanding contributions to fundamental scientific research in the field. He was also awarded the Australian Orthopaedic Associate's Award for Orthopaedic Research for his contribution to international orthopaedic research.

Prof Jonathan Craig was awarded the National Kidney Foundation (USA) International Distinguished Medal for 2010 in honour of his achievements to individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of kidney disease.

A/Prof Yvonne Zurynski and her colleagues at the Australian Paediatric Research Surveillance Unit (APSU) scored a major victory when the federal Government used the Unit's research findings to draft important new laws on car safety restraints for young children.

A/Prof Maria Craig is internationally renowned after she uncovered that children with type 1 diabetes were ten times more likely to have enterovirus than children without the diabetes.

Catherine King, PhD student for NCIRS who was awarded the Discipline of Paediatrics & Child Health prize for her postgraduate student research presentation on Parents' beliefs about seasonal and H1N1 influenza.

I hope that you may join us and look forward to welcoming you to the stimulating research environment at the Kids Research Institute.

Chris Cowell
Director, Kids Research Institute at The Children's Hospital at Westmead

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