Category: <span>Industry News</span>
We’re seeking a Project Officer with strong auditing and governance experience to help deliver services that support compliance with ICH-GCP, NHMRC guidelines, and regulatory frameworks. You’ll lead auditing activities, develop quality resources, build relationships with research sites, and drive continuous improvement across our services.
If you’re passionate about strengthening ethical, high-quality research, we’d love to hear from you.
Last month at the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Gala Dinner in Canberra our new Bellberry-Viertel Fellow was announced!
Congratulations to Associate Professor ZongYuan 宗元 Ge 戈 of Monash University who is a medical AI specialist.
ZongYuan 宗元 Ge 戈 will use the five-year Fellowship to develop Australia’s first AI Unified Phenotype Foundation model for diagnosis, prognosis and discovery in healthcare.
Congratulations to the other two Viertel Fellows Dr Joanna Achinger-Kawecka and Dr Dustin Flanagan.
The Sylvia and Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation has awarded 70 Fellowships over 30 years and as a not-for-profit provider of Human Research Ethics Committee services, Bellberry is proud to be working with the Foundation and Equity Trustees to provide the third Fellowship.
The 2025 ACTA Trial of the Year Award was awarded to the PLUSS trial, recognising a groundbreaking study that could transform care for extremely preterm infants.
Led by Professor Brett Manley and conducted under the IMPACT Network, the trial investigated whether giving intra-tracheal budesonide with surfactant could reduce the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)—a serious lung condition in premature babies. Conducted across 21 hospitals in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Canada, the study enrolled over 1,000 infants and showed promising results.
Read more about the awards on the ACTA website.
Report highlights international confidence in Australian clinical trials
Global investment in Australian clinical trials is strong, with two thirds of Australian clinical trials, reviewed by Bellberry, funded by international companies according to its 2024 Clinical Trials Activity Report (CTAR).
Bellberry is Australia’s largest ethics and scientific reviewer of research involving humans reviewing approximately 40% of CTN (Clinical Trial Notification) trials in Australia.
Every year since 2019, Bellberry has released its Clinical Trial Activity Report (CTAR) to coincide with International Clinical Trials Day on 20 May. The CTAR describes the portfolio of research conducted in the prior year with Bellberry oversight.
Bellberry’s CEO, Kylie Sproston, says the 2024 data shows that Australia is uniquely placed to attract worldwide investment in clinical trials activity due to the high quality of its healthcare institutions and researchers.
“The 2024 Clinical Trial Activity Report shows that early phase trial activity remains a key strength with significant and continued growth over the last six years,” said Ms Sproston.
“The USA is the largest driver of early phase trials conducted in Australia, with Australia coming second and China third. Other top 10 countries include Germany, South Korea, Switzerland, the UK, Canada, France and Japan,” she said.
“Almost 50 per cent of the trials that Bellberry reviews are First in Human or Phase 1 trials, highlighting Australia’s strong reputation for this skilled and complex type of research.”
In 2024, oncology accounted for more than a quarter of the studies reviewed by Bellberry, while non-clinical trials made up more than 15 per cent of Bellberry reviews.
“Interestingly, we have seen a doubling of the number of social science research activities that Bellberry has reviewed in the last six years from 5% to 10% of total reviews,” said Ms Sproston.
“Australia’s capacity to support the full clinical development pathway is highlighted by the representation of trials in the 2024 CTAR from FIH through to Phase 4, devices, observational, qualitative, social science, registry, audit, and evaluation.”
View our 2024 Clinical Trial Activity Report here
Bellberry is a national, not-for-profit organisation that provides streamlined scientific and ethical reviews of human research established in 2004. It is the 2025 winner of the Championing Health Award in the Telstra Best of Business Awards.
For media queries please contact alisonrogers@bellberry.com.au or on 0488 995 868.
Bellberry is committed to being a global leader in research ethics reviews and enhancing health and wellbeing. We’re looking for a Quality Associate to support our mission of delivering excellence in scientific and ethical review services.
In this role, you’ll work closely with the Quality Manager to oversee our Quality Management System (QMS), ensure compliance, and maintain exceptional standards in research ethics.
Ready to make a meaningful impact? Apply today and be part of our team!
Click here for the Position Description or on SEEK below to apply.
Bellberry consists of a team of highly professional, innovative and dedicated people who are committed to making a difference within the research community.
Our culture is built on shared values:
- Making a difference
- Working together with integrity and respect
- Professional and Responsive
- Future looking and forward-thinking.
That combination helps our professionals make a difference each day both individually and collectively.
Due to our continued growth we have a number of current vacancies:
- Data Analyst
- Project Manager
- Human Research Ethics Committees Officer
Please visit the SEEK website for further information about any of these roles.
The Founding Chair of Bellberry’s Board of Directors, Fraser Bell, has paid tribute to retiring Board member Professor Emeritus Lloyd Sansom AO for his 12 years on the Board.
“Once in a while a Board gets to work with a person of enormous integrity, wisdom, humility, humour and a capacity to roll up his sleeves and get things done,” said Mr Bell.
“Bellberry has had just that opportunity with Lloyd Sansom. Our company made huge strides forward due to Lloyd’s vision with our Thought Leadership Program in particular.
“While that is the obvious legacy, each of his fellow Board members and the executive team are better off for having shared the journey with Lloyd,” said Mr Bell.
Professor Sansom was Professor of Pharmacy as well as Head of the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences at the University of South Australia. In 2004 his contribution to the University was recognised with the naming of the Sansom Institute for Health Research.
He was also the Chair of the Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council from 1991-2000 and Chair of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee from 2001 to 2012.
Professor Sansom said it’s been a privilege to watch Bellberry grow over the last 12 years.
“Bellberry is a company that provides a high-quality service, but it does more than that. It is contributing to the advancement of the discipline of clinical trial research in this country and beyond,” said Professor Sansom.
Professor Andrew Wilson AO, who has recently retired as chair of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee will be joining the Bellberry Board.
Board Chair Fraser Bell has welcomed Professor Wilson’ appointment, “Andrew’s expertise and insights are well known to us and we are looking forward to working with him”.
Bellberry is Australia’s largest reviewer of human research reviewing more than 40% of CTN Clinical Trials in Australia. It’s a national, independent, not-for-profit organsiation focused on improving the welfare of human research participants and the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of medical research through its HREC reviews and philanthropic activities.
For media queries contact alisonrogers@bellberry.com.au or call 0488 995 868
International investment strong in Australian early phase trials
Overseas companies invest in two-thirds of all Australian clinical trials reviewed by Australia’s largest reviewer of human research, Bellberry, according to its Clinical Trial Activity Report (CTAR).
Bellberry reviews more than 40% of CTN (Clinical Trial Notification) trials in Australia and each year releases its CTAR on International Clinical Trials Day (20 May).
The data for the 2023 calendar year found that early phase clinical trials (first in human or Phase 1) involved investment from overseas companies (sponsors) with the top countries being the US, China, South Korea, the UK and Switzerland.
Bellberry’s CEO, Kylie Sproston, says the recent data shows that Australia is uniquely placed to attract significant global investment in clinical trials activity due to the high quality of its healthcare institutions and researchers.
“Continuing previous trends, Australia is a lead destination globally for First in Human and Phase 1 trials, with strong interest from overseas sponsors in the Australian clinical trial ecosystem,” said Ms Sproston.
“Less well recognised is the depth in Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials, totalling 28% of the portfolio. Collectively, Australia can be a key partner for end-to-end delivery of clinical development of new health innovations.
“Other countries investing strongly in Australian clinical trials are France, Sweden, Taiwan, Germany and Canada. The data shows that we are a highly desirable destination for this skilled and complex work.”
Of the clinical trials reviewed by Bellberry in 2023, private sites conducted 89% of the research with 11% by public sites.
“This reflects the breadth and vibrancy of the privately based research sector including phase one units, hospitals, medical centres and research institutes,” said Ms Sproston.
More than a quarter of the clinical trials undertaken in 2023 were in oncology (27%) with other key areas of research including infectious diseases, neurology, dermatology, haematology, devices and social science (each within 5-10% of the total).
Download the 2023 Clinical Trial Activity Report
Bellberry is a national, not-for-profit organisation that provides streamlined scientific and ethical reviews of human research projects across Australia. Its focus is on improving the welfare of human research participants and the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of medical research through its HREC reviews and philanthropic activities.
For media queries please contact alisonrogers@bellberry.com.au or on 0488 995 868.
Sociologist, lawyer and Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, Dr Michelle King, was yesterday awarded the Bellberry Travel Grant at the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law (AABHL) Conference 2023 in Brisbane.
The travel grant will assist Dr King to present a paper in Chicago at the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD) World Congress in August next year.
Dr King said her work focuses on defining inclusion in research for people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities and how this inclusion is mediated by research ethics committees and rules.
“Research about the experiences and perspectives of people with profound intellectual disabilities is difficult,” said Dr King.
“Most research work is done with the people around the person with profound intellectual disabilities, like parents, support workers, or health professionals.
“Including someone with profound intellectual disabilities in research can also be made more difficult by research ethical clearance processes and committees.
“My paper considers the question of ‘nothing about us, without us’ for people who may not be able to include themselves,” she said.
Dr King is also the parent of an adult daughter with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.
“I greatly value the opportunity to travel to the IASSIDD World Congress to share my results on ethics, decision-making and profound intellectual disabilities,” she said.
Bellberry’s CEO, Kylie Sproston congratulated Dr King on her ground-breaking research saying Bellberry was excited to support Dr King with a travel grant.
“This year marks 20 years of Bellberry and we are proud to partner with the 2023 AABHL Conference to offer a travel grant of up to $2000 to an early career or higher degree researcher to assist with travel to present research related to research ethics,” said Ms Sproston.
For further information please contact Alison Rogers on 0488 995 868 or alison@livingstories.net.au
Bellberry is proud to partner with the 2023 AABHL Conference to offer a grant of up to $2000 for Early Career Researchers/Higher Degree Researchers to enable travel to undertake or present research related to research ethics.
To find out more or to apply, click here: https://aabhlconference.com/bellberry-travel-grant
Discover the latest in Medical Technology at the 2023 AusMedtech Conference in Adelaide. With expert keynotes, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions, you’ll gain insights into the trends and breakthroughs that are propelling the industry forward.
Register now to discover a strong line up of speakers on topics that include Australian manufacturing success stories, navigating the distribution landscape, the evolving diagnostics landscape, the changing IP landscape and more.
REGISTER NOW! We look forward to seeing you there.
Last year, Bellberry launched a pilot grant program to support participant engagement at scientific meetings. Conference organisers were encouraged to apply for funding to create and/or enhance participant-centric programs, with the overarching goal of improving research by embracing the participant voice. Bellberry was thrilled to receive a larger-than-expected number of high-quality applications. Successful applicants were:- The Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand for the Health Services Research Conference, held in Sydney from 30 November to 2 December 2022; and
- The Lung Foundation Australia for the Australian Lung Cancer Conference, to be held on the Gold Coast from 15 to 17 February 2023.
Bellberry are proud to be a silver sponsor of the ACTA ASM 2022 being held at the SAHMRI in Adelaide on 7-8 November.
The ACTA ASM will be held on Tuesday 8 November with the theme – Implementing Evidence into Practice: how do we plan, engage and act to ensure our trials have the greatest impact and change practice. The ACTA ASM will also include a day of workshops on Monday 7 November.
Please visit the ACTA website for further programme information. We look forward to seeing you there!
Join us at Australia’s largest Life Sciences Conference, AusBiotech 2022, 26-28 October 2022 in Perth. This year’s programme gives local and international industry leaders the opportunity to recharge, re-energise, refresh and build relationships.
Bellberry are delighted to be supporting and exhibiting at this event. We look forward to seeing you there!
Bellberry are proud to be platinum sponsors of the AAHMS Annual Meeting taking place next month in Melbourne. The flagship Academy event will bring together Fellows, Associate Members and key stakeholders from across Australia to share ideas, welcome the Academy’s new Fellows in 2022 and celebrate outstanding achievements of researchers in the health and medical sciences.
The theme of this year’s meeting is “Future health and transforming technologies”. International and Australian health and medical sciences experts will present on a range of topics and explore new ways to deliver effective, scalable and sustainable initiatives to benefit the health of all Australians.
We look forward to seeing you there!