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The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute (UQDI) is a world-leading biomedical translational research facility. The Institute is based at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, and is currently home to more than 200 researchers and staff. UQDI brings together leading biomedical researchers and clinician scientists working on the development of  novel treatments for diseases such as cancers, arthritis, diabetes, bone and joint diseases and infection.

History
In 2007, The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute was established as the sixth research institute of The University of Queensland. UQDI was formed through the amalgamation of UQ's Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research (CICR) and the Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology Research (CDER). The UQDI has now grown to include over 200 researchers, students and support staff.

UQDI derived its name from Lady Diamantina Bowen, formerly Contessa Roma, who was the wife of Queensland’s inaugural Governor, Sir George Bowen. Despite her background of aristocracy and great wealth, Lady Bowen devoted herself to working tirelessly for the underprivileged, injured and infirm in the community. The UQDI continues to reflect the vision and values of Lady Diamantina.

The Institute was originally established by former Director, Professor Ian Frazer, pioneer of the cervical cancer vaccine. Since 2011, the Institute has been headed by Professor Matt Brown, who is world-renown in genetics and genomics medicine.

In its short time, UQDI has made major contributions to the translation of biomedical science to the clinic. Amongst UQDI’s notable achievements are:

•	Discovery, development and release of the world’s first cervical cancer vaccine •	Clinical trials of the vaccine program in developing countries •	Development of a vaccine to treat rheumatoid arthritis •	Development of a vaccine to treat non-melanoma skin cancer •	Identification of genes responsible for one-third of the risk of developing ankylosing spondylitis •	Development of a new test to identify patients with the potential to develop diabetes •	Design of one the first needle-free vaccine technologies •	Discovery of gene-silencing technology for cancer treatment •	Identification of new genes involved in multiple sclerosis

The Institute’s research programs are integrated with hospital clinicians to ensure that the research undertaken remains relevant to people who suffer from these diseases. UQDI is connected to The University of Queensland’s main campus such that, together with the Queensland Brain Institute, Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, it forms one of the largest bioscience precincts in the world.

In late 2012, UQDI will move into the new Translational Research Institute, which is headed by CEO and Research Director, Professor Ian Frazer AO. The new facility will house up to 650 researchers, focussing on biomedical translational research and will allow for increased collaborative opportunities.

Current research
Currently the work of the Institute is focussed on:

•	cancers such as head and neck, skin, blood, cervical and prostate cancer •	inflammatory or autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis •	viral and bacterial infectious diseases such as tuberculosis

The Institute is organised into the following research programs:

•	Allergic Diseases – Professor Matt Brown, Dr Ray Steptoe, Professor Ranjeny Thomas •	Autoimmune Diseases – Professor Matt Brown, Dr Emma Hamilton-Williams, Dr Gethin Thomas, Dr Ray Steptoe, Professor Ranjeny Thomas •	Bone Disorders – Professor Matthew Brown, Dr Gethin Thomas •	Brain Disorders – Professor Matthew Brown, Professor Peter Visscher •	Cancer – Dr Michelle Hill, Dr Ali Naderi, Associate Professor Brian Gabrielli, Dr Angus Harding, Associate Professor Nicholas Saunders, Dr Fiona Simpson, Professor Ian Frazer, Dr Graham Leggatt, Dr Antje Blumenthal •	Infection – Dr Antje Blumenthal, Professor Ian Frazer

UQDI houses state-of-the-art facilities and equipment including bioinformatics, flow cytometry, proteomics, advance microscopy and pre-clinical imagine facilities. The Institute also hosts the UQ Centre for Clinical Genomics which houses cutting-edge infrastructure to support advanced research in genomic medicine.

Education
Students with a successful undergraduate degree in science can apply for Honours, Master of Philosophy or a PhD with the Institute. Primary and secondary students can also be involved with the Students Practicing Advanced Research Queensland (SPARQ-ed) program; a research immersion program designed for school students to gain a strong idea of what research life is like, and contribute to real-life research projects.

Future
As part of the new Translational Research Institute, UQDI will continue to work on its vision of improving human health and translating basic scientific findings into better treatments for patients.