Message from the Director
With 2018 fast approaching and the holiday season in full swing, we would like to thank you, our stakeholders, research partners and colleagues, who have contributed so much over recent years.
Thank you for sharing our vision and making 2017 a significant milestone in NICM’s 10th year.
In April, we had the pleasure of announcing the largest gift received by Western Sydney University - a combined $10 million from Marcus and Caroline Blackmore's personal philanthropic trust and Blackmores Limited – representing a commitment of $5 million each.
Helping us significantly to achieve our vision, this unencumbered gift is already supporting our next generation of world-class researchers through scholarships and fellowships, attracting Australia's brightest young scientists and innovators.
As I reflect on the year that has been, it has been an amazingly productive year once again, with countless new research initiatives and collaborations nationally and internationally. Several outstanding colleagues have joined NICM this year including Professor Jerome Sarris as Deputy Director, bringing with him key NHMRC and other grants. We continue to advance our research collaborations and success in dementia care through Dr Genevieve Steiner and Professor Dennis Chang. NICM has also been awarded (amongst other grants) an important nationally competitive grant to examine herb interactions (Associate Professor Chun Guang Li), commenced a medicinal cannabis research group (Justin Sinclair) and signed a major joint Research Centre agreement with the prestigious China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.
In 2017, NICM contributed to international and national conversations about complementary medicine regulation, standards and policy, hosted our biannual national symposium and published prominent research papers (more than 75) throughout the year, generating global attention from researchers and media.
As we continue to build upon the evidence-base of integrative medicine and generate awareness around the science and research we conduct at our world-class health research institute, we also look forward to our future new home on the Westmead campus, with plans to move in the second half of 2018.
On behalf of the NICM team, we wish you and your loved ones all the very best for a safe and peaceful holiday break and the New Year ahead.
NICM offices are now closed for the holiday break, and will open again Thursday, 4 January 2017, when normal business hours will resume.
Wishing you a relaxing holiday and a healthy, fulfilling 2018.
Professor Alan Bensoussan
22 December 2017
