Brain & Mind Research Institute

Established in 2004 within the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney, the Brain & Mind Research Institute (BMRI) is described as the only centre of its kind in the world. It brings together patients, support groups, psychiatrists and neurologists in an environment that promotes synergy of effort and sharing ideas.

The Institute states that diseases of the brain and mind account for more that 40 percent of all illness. Clinical studies, an outpatient clinic and a postgraduate program are conducted at the Institute.

Focus is on five main clinical areas: youth mental health, child developmental disorders, psychotic disorders, dementia and multiple sclerosis.

Executive
In June 2009, the BMRI website listed its Executive as :
 * Professor Ian Hickie - Executive Director
 * Professor Max Bennett - Scientific Director
 * Professor John Pollard - another Director

Establishment of Institute and Foundation

 * Prof Gavin Brown AO
 * Tom Cropper
 * David Gonski AC
 * Bruce Hawker
 * Michael Hawker
 * John Hooke OBE
 * Robert Johnston AC
 * Ken Parker (deceased)
 * Daniel Petre AO
 * Oliver Richter AO
 * Kerry Stokes AO
 * Ryan Stokes
 * Fred Street AM
 * Warren Hogan

Funding
Financial dealings including the procurement of private and government funds are conducted by the Institute's Brain & Mind Research Foundation. The first chairman of the Foundation was David Gonski AO (2004-2005), succeeded by Ryan Stokes in 2005, followed by Ken Parker. The current chair of the Foundation since 2006 is Robert Johnston AC. Financial reporting by the Foundation is through the University of Sydney.

Grants for the Institute as reported in its 2008 Annual Report totaled $22,000,000.

Ian Hickie stated in 2009: "We have been able to attract international funding for our research and there are over one hundred people at the BMRI now on competitive research grants, about half of which are tied up with mental health problems."

Lobby/PR Firm

 * Hawker Britton

Contact details
100 Mallett Street Camperdown NSW 2050 Australia Tel: +61 2 9351 0799 Web: http://www.bmri.org.au

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Ian Hickie