Celia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Ryan for raising this important motion. Precision medicine is a relatively new approach for disease treatment and prevention and is one which has been enabled by recent advances in genomics, data analysis and availability, and artificial intelligence. It has enormous potential to transform health care on a huge scale as it allows doctors and researchers to predict more accurately which treatment and prevention strategies for a particular disease will work in which groups of people. It is a tailored approach which takes into account differences in people's genes, environments and lifestyles. As the member for Ryan has noted, the government has recognised its importance and is making significant investment in this area.

This emerging area of medicine and research is being embraced by a number of medical research institutes in the west, one of which is the renowned Perron Institute. The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, based in my electorate of Curtin, was founded by Professor Byron Kakulas AO in 1982 under its original name, the Australian Neuromuscular Research Institute. Led by Professor Kakulas for much of its life—and he still works there today—it has been undertaking vital and world-leading research into neurological conditions for three decades. It undertakes research into a broad spectrum of conditions, including stroke, Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, myositis and multiple sclerosis.

I recently visited the Perron Institute to tour their world-class facilities and meet with some of their leading researchers. I was inspired by the people who work there. All of their work is being done under their guiding motto, 'Where hope begins.' Steve Arnott, the current CEO of the Perron Institute, emphasised that the focus of their entire team is to ensure that their research translates into positive outcomes for the wider community. They have a multidisciplinary approach to research and a strong connection between the institute's lab research and people who are suffering through its 15 specialised clinics.

The Perron Institute has three key strategies. First, it is to undertake translational research to tackle the major research challenges in neurology, and it has affiliations with all five Western Australian universities and with leading universities worldwide. Their second goal is to run clinics. It treats over 2,800 patients annually. They are people who come to receive treatment for their complex and usually long-term neurological and neuro muscular diseases. The third plank is to pursue breakthrough therapies. Like many other medical research institutes, the Perron Institute has also recently pivoted to undertake research crucial to our fight against COVID-19. To that end, the Perron Institute, in partnership with Murdoch University and Monash University, recently received federal funding to research into potential inhalable treatment for COVID-19.

In the field of precision medicine, the Perron Institute has partnered with Murdoch University to establish the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics. It brings together scientists and clinicians from different fields of expertise to focus on the unique molecular and genetic make-up of individuals. CMMIT director Professor Steve Wilton leads the team of researchers at the centre to develop specific treatments for serious health conditions such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, motor neurone disease, Parkinson's disease and blood disorders. This collaboration—and the centre—has already established a worldwide reputation for cutting-edge research on novel genetic therapies for neuromuscular disorders, particularly Duchenne muscular dystrophy. By way of an example, it was given accelerated approval in 2016 by the US Food and Drug Administration for a new treatment of Duchenne.

Some of Professor Kakulas's early research in the 1960s on the cause of muscular disease on Rottnest Island quokkas when they were held in cages revolutionised the way the medical and scientific world considered and treated muscle disease in humans. This groundbreaking approach to research continues to this day at the Perron Institute. The Perron Institute now has the capacity and the ability to utilise precision medicine in its endeavours.

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