The labs and research clinics at Hunter Medical Research Institute are full of sophisticated equipment, all the things you would expect to see in a research environment. While these elements are undeniably crucial, there is another equally important facet of medical research that drives people to devote their careers to medical research: empathy.
At the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), we believe effective medical research extends beyond numbers, journal articles, and scientific achievements.
It involves a deep, unwavering commitment to the human side of health and wellbeing and keeps us focussed on making sure our discoveries make it from our labs and clinics and into the hands of the community when they need it most.
Medical research is not just about curing diseases or advancing technologies; it's about improving the quality of life for individuals and communities.
This perspective is vital as we navigate the complex challenges of today's health landscape, and empathy is the cornerstone of this.
Empathetic leadership in medical research starts with understanding and valuing the experiences of those we aim to help.
This means listening to patients, people with a lived experiences of the health challenges we are studying, to gain insights into their needs, challenges, and hopes.
By integrating their voices into our research, we can ensure that our efforts are relevant and impactful.
Empathy fuels innovation.
When we truly understand the needs and struggles of those we serve, we are better equipped and urgently motivated to devise creative solutions.
Consider the rapid development of vaccines and treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This monumental achievement was driven not only by scientific expertise but by a profound sense of urgency and empathy for the millions affected by the virus.
And as a global scientific community we came together, put territories and biases aside, and delivered true innovation into the hands (or arms) of our community within 18 months.
We can do this again.
At HMRI, we are committed to harnessing the power of empathy to drive innovation in healthcare.
This means developing technologies and treatments that are not only advanced but, more importantly, are accessible and tailored to the needs of diverse populations.
It involves using technology to provide personalised care that always keeps the person at the centre of our efforts.
A fascinating thing about medical research is that is attracts people from all walks of life, from all over the world.
You might be surprised to know that a lot of our researchers have 'crossed over' from other disciplines.
We have former nurses, veterinarians, teachers and pharmacists, just to name a few. We also have staff members who have joined us from wildly different backgrounds, keen to flex their muscles on something that has purpose and greater meaning.
There is something special about our 1 million people in this special part of the world - we are a health, social, and demographic snapshot of everywhere else in Australia... so if you can keep us healthy here, it's a very quick step to keeping the rest of Australia healthy too.
It's easy to get caught up in budgets and profits.
But if you ask any of our researchers why they do it, the answer is rarely about money.
For some people, it's all about the science. They love the thrill of the chase that starts with a gut feeling and progresses into tests and trials that span many years and several nations.
They love sorting through data sets and finding anomalies and answers.
For others, it's about solving big societal problems by influencing policy and developing programs for smoking cessation, increased physical activity, improved nutrition or closing the gap on rural, regional, gender and cultural health and wellbeing shortfalls.
For almost everyone you speak to at HMRI, they're driven by something personal.
Their research is about making life better for people they know.
Medical research looks like a lot of things: slides and numbers, datasets and funding figures, exercise programs, blood tests and brain scans, just to name a few.
But behind that, it's always about people.
By prioritising empathy, we can create a more inclusive and supportive research environment that benefits everyone.
