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Scope 40 - Malaghan Institute Open Day

16 October 2009

To celebrate its 30 year history of pioneering research into the immune system and how it can be harnessed for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, asthma, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and infectious disease, the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research opened its doors to the general public of Wellington on Sunday, 9 August 2009.

This was the first Open Day of the Institute's Kelburn campus facility, with around 140 people taking advantage of this unique opportunity to see inside New Zealand's premier vaccine and immunology research centre. Individuals that attended the Open Day were given the chance to try their hands at being scientists at a range of activities, and were then taken on a tour of the Institute, where they were shown how we make our cancer vaccines.

The Malaghan Institute was officially opened on 26 July 1979, in rented premises at the Wellington School of Medicine, though its history dates back even earlier to the late 1960's. In 2004 the Malaghan Institute relocated to its current purpose-built facility at Victoria University of Wellington. During this time the Institute has grown from a base of around 10 individuals to its current size of over 80 scientists and support staff.

For the past three decades the Malaghan Institute has relied on the generosity of the public to help us realise our vision of more effective treatment options for New Zealanders affected by disease, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our donors for their continued support.