Category: <span>Company News</span>
Click here to read our exciting March newsletter with details of our new Committee’s, donation information, NHMRC adverse events reporting changes, staff changes and much more!
Bellberry are thrilled to launch their partnership with The South Australian Health and Medical Institute (SAHMRI) to establish the Bellberry Molecular Imaging Program; a project that will allow the development of a series of diagnostic agents that will enhance SAHMRI’s ability to deliver improved healthcare, clinical trial capacity and translational health outcomes.
This partnership will deliver world-class research, which will both attract the pharmaceutical industry and retain the brightest scientists in the field to South Australia.
The importance of Imaging
Imaging has become a powerful tool in SAHMRI’s research strategy. In particular, molecular imaging provides the ability to use radiopharmaceuticals to study the functionality and progression of disease.
This program offers the opportunity to study how diseases may behave differently in individual patients, with important implications in the development of a more personalised approach to disease diagnosis and treatment.
Thanks to this support from Bellberry, South Australians will be able to benefit even more from the state’s only cyclotron that is housed at SAHMRI.
Over the next seven years, tracers will be developed for diseases ranging from bone, breast and prostate cancers, through to Parkinson’s Disease, Epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Molecular imaging permits the ability to locate disease, reveal its individual components, and could potentially also help examine disease mechanisms, and markedly advance the personalisation of disease prevention and treatment.
A partnership to benefit all South Australians
SAHMRI’s Executive Director, Professor Steve Wesselingh, said that the benefits of this partnership with Bellberry are countless.
“The Bellberry Molecular Imaging Program will advance South Australia as a leader in translational biomedical research by improving health outcomes, growing the knowledge economy and attracting industry partners as Australia looks to rapidly expand the health and medical sector as a major economic priority,” he said.
“We are incredibly grateful to Bellberry for their support and belief in this program.”
Director of SAHMRI’s cyclotron, Prab Takhar, said that this funding allows the cyclotron to develop a platform that will transform clinical care and research in the state in a very short time frame.
“This funding has already enabled us to begin developing agents, which are being used clinically in the state.”
Bellberry Limited’s Chief Executive, Ms Kylie Sproston, said “Bellberry exists to support research and ethics, to protect the welfare of research participants and to improve research. We are delighted to support the availability of these capabilities at SAHMRI, for the use of researchers throughout the State”.
Following an exceptionally busy year in 2016 with a total of 78 HREC meetings held, Bellberry has registered our seventh and eighth HRECs with the NHMRC. Going forward in 2017 Bellberry will be holding 2 Committee meetings every week. Due to our continued growth, we would like to expand our pool of HREC members and we particularly seek suitably qualified individuals with current human research experience. Knowledge and experience favourably considered includes:- Knowledge and understanding of scientific and methodological requirements of research protocols
- Recent or current involvement in conducting research, particularly clinical trials relating to drugs or devices, epidemiology or behavioural/social science research
- Knowledge and understanding of the National Statement
- Knowledge and understanding of relevant national and international documents/guidelines relating to clinical research, eg TGA, GMP, EMA, FDA (medical members)
- Understanding of the TGA and how it relates to clinical research (medical members)
- Relevant clinical experience and formal qualification/s to practice in Australia (medical members)
- The ability to communicate well, including the capacity to listen to and appreciate the views of others, to formulate and express a considered opinion
- Sound ICT skills
Following an exceptionally busy year in 2016 with a total of 78 HREC meetings held, Bellberry have registered our seventh and eighth HRECs with the NHMRC.
We are now delighted to announce that Professor Ben Canny has been appointed as our Committee G Chair. Prof Canny is already familiar with Bellberry after joining as a member of our HRECs in June 2016.
Ben is Head of Medicine at University of Tasmania where he is responsible for the Divisions of Medicine, Pharmacy, Psychology and Paramedicine. Prior to this he was Associate Dean in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University and President of the Academic Board. Ben is an experienced researcher and we welcome the breadth of research and ethics experience he brings to Bellberry having Chaired the Monash University HREC for five years. More information can be seen at: http://www.utas.edu.au/profiles/staff/health/ben-canny. Ben will commute to Adelaide for the monthly Committee G meetings.
We are also pleased to announce Dr Michael James has been appointed as our Committee H Chair in addition to his ongoing long-term role as Chair of Committee C. Michael is Chief Medical Scientist within the Rheumatology Unit at Royal Adelaide Hospital and Professor within the Discipline of Medicine at University of Adelaide.
This month we were delighted to welcome back Lauren Griswood (nee Guscott) to the Bellberry team. Lauren previously worked at Bellberry as a Committee secretary but has returned in a new role as administrator for the new NHMRC funded National Scientific Committee’s (NSC) that are being hosted by Bellberry.
The NSC’s were launched by the NHMRC in January and provide scientific review for the areas of Complex Genetic Research and Medical Devices. The Committee’s will provide advice to HRECs, sponsors and researchers on the scientific merit and integrity of a research protocol. Lauren was involved in the setup of the Committee’s and will be administrating then going forward.
Please feel free to contact Lauren for further information about the Committee’s and how to submit a proposal at nsc@bellberry.com.au
Further information can also be found at the NSC website
In October 2014 Bellberry hosted the Crossover conference, an international expert scientific meeting that addressed the challenges of early treatment switching in clinical trial design for oncology. A further scientific meeting in 2015 allowed for the development and launch of best practice guidelines for trial design and statistical methods from an international expert panel.
Bellberry are pleased to announce the publication of two papers arising from the scientific meetings, which have now been accepted by the International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care (Cambridge University Press.)
The first is entitled ‘Treatment Switching: Statistical and Decision Making Challenges and Approaches’ (N. Latimer, C.Henshall, U. Siebert and H. Bell)
The second is entitled ‘Treatment Switching in Cancer Trials: Issues and Proposals’ (N. Latimer, C. Henshall, L.Sansom and R. Ward)
Congratulations to Bellberry board member Malcolm Crompton who was awarded an AM in the Queen’s 2016 birthday honour’s list!
Malcolm received the award ‘For significant service to public administration, particularly to data protection, privacy and identity management, and to the community’ (details below).
The Bellberry team wishes Malcolm heartfelt congratulations for a well deserved recognition of many years of dedicated contribution.
Committee F’s inaugural meeting will be taking place next week with Prof Annette Braunack-Mayer as the newly appointed Chair.
Annette is a Professor of Health Ethics in the School of Public Health at the University of Adelaide and she was the Head of School until October last year. Her area of research is public health ethics and policy, with a particular focus on vaccination, obesity and chronic disease prevention. She has for many years been an ethicist in a medical setting and she also chairs the Ethics Health Advisory Council for the South Australian Department of Health and Ageing and sits on their HREC. Her mix of expertise in the clinical setting, population health and qualitative methods is a great addition to the Chair team. Annette has worked with agencies supporting both PBAC and MSAC, so has a deep understanding of the lifecycle of the clinical work.
We are delighted to welcome Annette to the Bellberry team.
Bellberry is delighted to announce that its 6th Human Research Ethics Committee has been registered ahead of an inaugural meeting in March 16.
In preparation ahead of the formal launch, the Bellberry team have been busy with the recruitment and selection process. We are pleased to introduce Annette Braunack-Mayer as the new chair for Committee F. Annette is a Professor of Health Ethics; her area of research is applied ethics and qualitative methods. We are delighted to welcome Annette to the Bellberry team.
The 6th committee adds further capacity to the Bellberry ethics review process. With Bellberry holding at least one HREC meeting every week, we are able to provide researchers with a 2-week lead time from submission to review.
Bellberry are pleased to welcome Hon John Hill and Prof Ian Frazer AC to the Board of Bellberry Ltd.
John Hill is perhaps best known for his recent and long-term appointment as health minister for South Australia. John is a teacher by profession, but entered politics in 1997. With the Rann Government election in 2002 he joined the State Cabinet, and held a variety of ministerial appointments for the following 11 years including Health, Aging and the Arts. Since retiring from Parliament in 2014, John has continued to support his areas of interest: Health, Aging and the Arts.
Professor Ian Frazer AC was trained as a renal physician and clinical immunologist in Edinburgh Scotland, and immigrated to Australia in 1985. In 1991, along with Chinese colleague, Dr Jian Zhou, he developed the virus-like particle technology which has become the basis of vaccines to prevent cervical cancer. Dr Frazer was founder CEO and Director of Research of the newly created Translational Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia. He now pursues research on skin cancer and on immunotherapy for cancer as head of the cancer immunotherapy program at TRI.
Both John and Ian have joined the board of Bellberry because of their passion for medical research and the positive outcomes that can be gained for our communities. They support the work of Bellberry, as an Independent Not For Profit working in this space.
Bellberry is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Barry Chatterton as Chair of Bellberry Ltd HREC D.
Dr Chatterton is a highly qualified physician, with a specialisation in nuclear medicine. He brings a wealth of experience from both the public and private sectors. Dr Chatterton is also an experienced HREC Chair having been involved as Deputy Chair of the RAH HREC for many years.
Dr Chatterton graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1971 with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). He gained his MRACP in 1974 and went on to train in Nuclear Medicine at the Royal Adelaide Hospital from 1975 – 1977 and was made a Member of the Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) in 1978 upon achieving his Nuclear Medicine qualifications.
Dr Chatterton joined Dr Jones & Partners in 2002 and consults in general and cardiac Nuclear Medicine, PET, Bone Densitometry, Ocular ultrasound and Oncology. He was also a Senior Director at the Royal Adelaide Hospital until his recent retirement after 42 years. Dr Chatterton has special interests in radiopharmaceutical development and oncology and is author or co-author on over 130 publications.
Natasha Johns started at Bellberry in April and has joined forces with long term Bellberry employee Chris Weinert to form Bellberry’s new executive assistant frontline team!
Natasha who is originally from SA, has recently returned after living in QLD for four years. She has been an executive assistant for 5 years and has held previous roles at the Department of Transport and Main Roads in QLD.
Chris and Natasha are located at the Bellberry reception and will be the first people you speak to when calling the main Bellberry number. Chris and Natasha are job sharing this role and will be able to assist you with a wide range of questions and queries including how to submit a study for review, Committee meeting dates, document requirements and much more!
Please do not hesitate to contact the team on 08 83613222
In January we welcomed Simon Windsor to the Bellberry team. Simon’s previous position was at Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute, SAHMRI where he worked for 3 years as a Clinical Trial Coordinator managing randomised controlled trials in a variety of therapeutic areas. This mainly involved coordination of site start up, recruitment, enrolment and data collection for a neonatal nutrition study based in Australia with sites in Singapore and New Zealand. Simon and his wife had previously lived in London, where he worked on Phase I Respiratory studies.
Simon will be working across a range of projects to support the operations of the organisation including project management of the National PICF project.
This project will engage stakeholders from the Australian Health and Research community to develop resources that improve the informed consent process and promote consumer involvement in decision making.
New Committee Secretary
In October we welcomed Margaret Jelbart to the Bellberry team. Margaret’s previous position was at James Cook University, North Queensland where she worked for 13 years as a Governance Officer providing secretarial and administration support to a variety of governance committees, as well as academic based working parties. This mainly involved the co-ordination and preparation of meeting agendas and minutes, as well as providing support to committee members.
Margaret’s family moved from Townsville to Adelaide in 2013. Margaret’s husband grew up in Adelaide so the move has given them the opportunity to spend a lot more time with his extended family.
Margaret has taken over responsibility for Committee A.