AUS-CAN Symposium Strengthens Melbourne–Calgary Research Partnership

(L-R) Peter van Wijngaarden, Director of The Florey; Martyn Myer, Chair of the Doherty Council; Sharon Lewin, Director of the Doherty Institute & Cumming Global Centre; The Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas, Victorian Health Minister; David Park, Director of Hotchkiss; Derek McKay, Director of the Snyder Institute; and Peter Doherty, Patron of the Doherty Institute.

The inaugural AUS-CAN Symposium marked a significant milestone in the partnership between the University of Calgary (UCalgary) and the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (MDHS).

The event brought together researchers from UCalgary’s Snyder Institute and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and was hosted by the Doherty Institute, Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, and the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.

Covering topics from gut-nervous system interactions and the microbiome to microbial frontiers and novel vaccines and therapeutics, the symposium showcased the depth of expertise available across the two biomedical precincts in Melbourne and Calgary.

It also highlighted the opportunities for collaborative research to address the challenge of infections and their long-term impact on human health.

The symposium builds on the growing partnership between UCalgary and MDHS, founded on a shared commitment to advancing research in infectious diseases, immunology, and the microbiome.

"International partnerships like this ensure we achieve high-quality, high-impact research outcomes," said Professor Mike McGuckin, Acting Dean of MDHS.

The partnership is underpinned by the generosity of philanthropist Geoff Cumming, whose transformative gifts of $100 million to UCalgary in 2014 and $250 million to the University of Melbourne in 2022, established the Cumming School of Medicine and the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics.

“Geoff Cumming has been central to this partnership. He loves both places and is thrilled to see the universities working so closely together,” said Professor Sharon Lewin, Director of the Doherty Institute and the Cumming Global Centre.

“Staff and students of The Florey were delighted to participate in this inaugural symposium. New collaborations were forged and long-established ties were rekindled. We look forward to using the momentum of this symposium to strengthen research exchange across geographic and disciplinary boundaries,” said Professor Peter van Wijngaarden, Executive Director & CEO of The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.

"Inspired by the success of the Snyder-Doherty seed grant funding, The Florey and Hotchkiss Brain Institute are also supporting a collaborative grant program."