Directors Report

It is with great enthusiasm that I report on the work of the Malaghan Institute over the past 12 months. Our research teams have made a number of highly significant discoveries, the results of which have been published in leading medical journals overseas. Success in the research arena has been accompanied by an expansion in staff numbers resulting in a significant increase in the Institute's research capability.

Mr Steven Watson has recently been appointed General Manager of the Institute. He will be taking up his position with us in April 2002. Mr Watson comes to us from Washington DC and has over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, information technology and business analysis. Mr Watson's appointment will assist me in the development of sound management structures for the increasing number of staff and range of research activities currently planned at the Institute.

Dr David Ritchie has returned to the Institute from the Bone Marrow Centre at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He is working as Group Leader of a new research programme focusing on human immunology and bone marrow transplantation. The research programme that Dr Ritchie is developing will be a key bridge between the basic immunology research projects at the Malaghan Institute and their development into clinically relevant therapies. Dr Ritchie's collaboration with Dr Franca Ronchese on the dendritic cell-based cancer vaccine has resulted in the extension of this trial to other regions in New Zealand. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Wellington Medical Research Foundation in establishing Dr Ritchie's research programme.

Dr Ronchese has discovered that dendritic cells are killed by the immune system when they are used to repeatedly boost anti -tumour cell responses. This is a significant discovery and important proof of the value of doing research which studies the basic biology of the immune system. Dr Ronchese will now undertake more clinically focused research into how this new knowledge can be used to improve the vaccine effect in humans.

Dr Jacquie Harper has responsibility for the new Biodiscoveries Group. This group will focus on co-ordinating the development of basic research discoveries made at the Institute into useful therapies for disease. It will also play a key role in supporting other more commercially focused research organisations throughout New Zealand.

The Multiple Sclerosis research programme has made real progress with several publications in the pipeline. It is sobering to reflect on just how difficult this disease is to 'crack open', as there have been no major breakthroughs internationally as to its cause or nature. It is hoped that Dr Bäckström's basic research investigation into the workings of T cell education in the thymus, and his investigation into the subtle arrangement of the antigen receptor signaling complex, will pave the way for better understanding of this debilitating disease.

Dr Mike Berridge's Cell Biology and Cancer Group has continued to open up new perspectives on how eukaryotic cells buffer and control their environment with respect to energy and oxygen. The story so far is proving fascinating, with Dr Berridge's work also being of potential relevance to understanding the evolution of eukaryotic cells, as well as cancer cell biology. The recent appointment of Dr Debbie Scarlett and Patries Herst to Dr Berridge's programme will provide a major research stimulus to this group.

My Asthma research group has made significant progress in its aim to develop a vaccine against asthma. The thesis behind the asthma vaccine project is that certain microbial pathogens produce compounds which are capable of modifying an immune response. We seek to use the immuno-regulatory potential of these novel compounds to suppress what is essentially an over-reactive immune response to allergens. A major issue is to identify compounds which are active in suppressing the allergic reaction seen in asthma, but have no harmful side effects of their own.

In addition to supporting the development of research discoveries at the Institute, the increase in staff numbers has enabled the Institute to meet the demands of other organisations around New Zealand. These organisations seek the expertise and advice of Malaghan Institute staff for important research work of their own. I welcome these collaborations and interactions and it is pleasing to see the valuable role that the Malaghan Institute now plays in many areas throughout New Zealand.

I would like to acknowledge staff who have either left the Institute this year or who will be departing shortly. Associate Professor Penny Fitzharris will be leaving her position at the Institute and the Wellington School of Medicine to take up a senior position at Guys Hospital, London. Professor Fitzharris helped me establish the asthma research programme in 1994. Through her role as research Dean at the Wellington School of Medicine, Penny greatly improved the relevance and level of research on the Wellington campus and contributed significantly to the Institute's research projects. We will miss her as a friend and senior scientific colleague and wish her well in her new position. Dr Ian Hermans, who finished his post-doctoral training with Dr Franca Ronchese, has taken a position at the Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, where he will continue his research interests in cancer immunotherapy. Dr Sarah Hook has finished her post-doctoral research training with me and has now taken an academic research position in the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Otago. We wish them well in their endeavours and thank them for their valuable contribution.

Once again I would like to acknowledge the excellent job of the administration and science support team in ensuring that the necessary infra-structure and systems are in place to enable our scientists to continue their work.

The relationship of the Malaghan Institute with the many community groups is a credit to the leadership and effort of Diana Mackintosh assisted by Jocelyn Cole. The enthusiastic support of the Friends of the Malaghan Institute, fund raising groups and donors has been essential in making the Malaghan Institute a vigorous and exciting institution committed to improving human health.

Graham Le Gros
Director of Research