Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery gets building go-ahead

A working model of ACMD – Australia’s first hospital-based biomedical engineering research centre – has been operating on a modified scale at St Vincent’s Fitzroy campus for the past 10 years. The new building opens up significant opportunities to broaden ACMD’s scope in device innovation and dealing with chronic disease. 

Driving medical innovation

Specialised research, development and engineering areas with advanced capabilities will form part of the new ACMD building. The design will include 3D printing laboratories, a human kinetics lab, special insulated rooms that enable the development of sensitive hearing and vision technologies, engineering workshops to produce medical device prototypes and robotics, as well as collaborative spaces for students and researchers. 

Another unique highlight is the education centre that will be embedded within ACMD. 

Leading change

Angela Nolan, CEO of St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, believes the new purpose-built Centre will allow the translational research done through ACMD to grow at pace and will extend the valuable work that is already underway to fast-track vital medical research, so it can be used to help patients sooner. 

“At St Vincent’s, we have a long, proud history of tackling the toughest and most complex health problems – something that is at the core of the ACMD vision,” says Ms Nolan. 

The Centre brings together leading universities, research institutes, a tertiary hospital and major industry partners to work collaboratively on medical research. 

“ACMD’s new and unique setting will break down barriers to bring a wide variety of skill sets together, in a dedicated building that is right in the heart of St Vincent’s Hospital, to solve some of the world’s biggest healthcare challenges – something that has never been done before,” says Dr Erol Harvey, CEO of ACMD. 

A future landmark

In a premier position on the northern edge of the CBD, the new $206 million building will overlook the Carlton Gardens and Royal Exhibition Building. 

The design was commended as visually engaging and of high quality in a report from the Priority Projects Standing Advisory Committee that also highlighted the Centre would have a significant net community benefit and that the contemporary building will reinvigorate the important city entry corner perspective of Victoria Parade and Nicholson Street. 

“The new ACMD building has been sensitively and thoughtfully designed to complement its location within a world-heritage precinct and is set to become a Melbourne landmark,” says Andrew Crettenden, ACMD Project Director.