Children’s Medical Research Institute was delighted to warmly welcome to CMRI, the Premier of NSW, The Hon Chris Minns MP, Minister for Health, The Hon Ryan Park MP and local MP, Member for Parramatta, The Hon Donna Davis MP on November 1.

This was the Premier’s very first visit to CMRI. We were the second stop of the tour, immediately after they had visited a young cancer patient next door at Children’s Hospital.

The first stop was seeing CMRI’s world-first facility, ProCan® in action and meeting scientists, Jennifer Koh and Dylan Xavier. ProCan’s aim is for a time in future when every child (or adult) with cancer would receive the most accurate diagnosis when the cancer is first detected, allowing the cancer doctor to choose the most effective treatment plan for that person’s cancer. This will mean more children with cancer – like the young patient the Premier had just met next door – will be cured……. more lives will be saved, and unsuccessful treatments (and their side effects) will be avoided.

Next, was a visit to CMRI’s Stem Cell and Organoid Facility. Donning the mandatory outfit of lab coat, hair net, mask, shoe covers and gloves before entering this laboratory, the Premier and Health Minister were shown organoids (mini organs generated in the laboratory dish that are derived from stem cells from healthy individuals or patients).

Showing the Premier painstakingly grown retina (eye), brain and heart organoids, PhD student, Michelle O’Hara-Wright explained how organoids are a cutting-edge technology that allows scientists to study patients’ genetic diseases and to test new treatments on patients’ own organoids. The Premier sent a special message of thanks for the Stem Cell Facility demonstration and a video of Michelle showing the organoids was featured on his Instagram stories.

Finally, we explained the critical need to expand the world leading research being conducted at CMRI and our plans for growing our laboratory footprint through a redevelopment known as the Gene Technologies Building.

From Professor Frank Martin (President), The Hon Craig Knowles (Member of the Board) and Executive Director, Professor Roger Reddel who hosted the visit, and everyone at CMRI – a huge thanks to the Premier, Minister Ryan Park and Ms Davis for spending time with us. We greatly appreciated their interest in understanding the importance and impact of CMRI’s research for children and families across NSW and Australia (and around the world) – and the very many wider benefits that CMRI’s research delivers, including for the NSW and Australian economy.