The Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD) – Australia’s first hospital-based medical discovery centre – has officially opened its doors, marking the culmination of more than two decades of planning, collaboration and investment in Australia’s biomedical engineering future.

Located in the St Vincent’s Fitzroy Health and Innovation Precinct, next to St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, the ACMD’s unique collaborative model – placing researchers, engineers, clinicians and industry partners under one roof for the first time – is designed to deliver groundbreaking technologies that improve patient outcomes, enhance health equity and transform Australia’s health system.

The ACMD’s model is built on the principle that the fastest path from medical discovery to a patient’s bedside is to put the people who understand unmet clinical need in the same building as the people with the tools to solve it.

The ACMD is a partnership between St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Australian Catholic University, Bionics Institute, RMIT University, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Swinburne University of Technology, and University of Melbourne.

Located on the corner of Victoria Parade and Nicholson St, Fitzroy, the ACMD is a $206 million state-of-the-art biomedical engineering centre featuring cutting-edge laboratories, a human kinetics lab, 3D printing facilities, engineering workshops, a clinical simulation lab, and dedicated education facilities to train the next generation of clinical, nursing, allied health and biomedical research leaders.

The facility houses four and a half thousand square meters of dedicated research space across 11 floors, including 31 laboratories, with capacity for up to 900 researchers.

Two floors are dedicated to the University of Melbourne Clinical School, training up to 300 new doctors per year. The ACMD has been brought to life by $90m funding from the Victorian and Commonwealth governments, $86 million from the ACMD partners, and generous philanthropic contributions.

"This isn't just a research facility, it's where the discoveries made in the lab will find their way to the bedside faster, and more reliably, than ever before,” said Michael Krieg, Acting CEO, Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery.

“For patients across Victoria and beyond, that means better outcomes, shorter stays, and care that's built around what works."

The ACMD stands on the site of the former Aikenhead Wing – St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne’s residence for trainee nurses. The ACMD is named after Mary Aikenhead, the founder of the Sisters of Charity, the order of nuns who established St Vincent’s.

Quotes from partner organisations

Chris Blake, Chief Executive Officer, St Vincent’s Health Australia:
“The opening of the ACMD marks a major milestone for St Vincent’s, further strengthening our national leadership in research, innovation and patient-centred care while reinforcing our commitment to providing better and fairer healthcare for all.”

Abid Khan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Australian Catholic University:
“As a founding partner of ACMD, ACU is proud to be at the forefront of people-centred solutions that advance human flourishing. The opening of ACMD progresses our long-term commitment to foundational and translational research, place-based innovation, and mission-driven partnerships that also strengthen our graduate research pipeline to meet the research and workforce demands of a rapidly growing and evolving care economy.”

Robert Klupacs, Chief Executive Officer, Bionics Institute:
“The Bionics Institute is a world leader in the development of medical devices that are set to transform the lives of people with challenging conditions, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy and cancer. Founded in 1986 to develop the cochlear implant, our multidisciplinary team comprises engineers, scientists and commercialisation experts with a track record of fast translation from bench to bedside. Our research has led directly to six clinical trials and five spin-off companies, including ASX-listed company Epiminder Ltd, and we look forward to collaborating with ACMD partners on future innovations that transform lives.”

Distinguished Professor Calum Drummond AO, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Innovation and Vice-President, RMIT University:
“RMIT is excited to be involved in ACMD research and innovation activities on a path to improved diagnosis, treatment decisions, and patient outcomes at this purpose-built facility for MedTech innovation. ACMD will accelerate pathways from concept to commercialisation. Its strength is in its unique partnership model, bringing together industry, research expertise and clinical knowledge to deliver societal benefits."

Professor Tom Kay, Director, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (SVI):
“As a founding ACMD partner, SVI is excited to work alongside clinicians, engineers and industry in a collaborative environment designed to accelerate medical innovation. By bringing together complementary expertise, we can help translate research to improve patient outcomes.”

Professor Karen Hapgood, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Swinburne University of Technology:
“The ACMD represents the kind of collaborative, impact-focused research environment that is central to what we do here at Swinburne. By bringing engineering, health and clinical expertise together, this facility is accelerating the development of medical technologies that will help improve patient care and support the future of healthcare.”

Professor Mark Cassidy AM, University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research):
“We’re so excited to open ACMD, which builds on the University of Melbourne’s incredible strengths in biomedical engineering, including in neural measurements of the brain, design of implantable devices, sensor technology and tissue engineering. By bringing partners, experts, education and clinical settings together, we can deliver greater research breakthroughs, translation and innovation for the benefit of all Australians.”

Media Contact
Joanna Wills - St Vincent’s Health Australia
0427 685 086