NSW Government has invested $20 million to fund the next generation of world-leading research into paediatric precision medicine being led by the Luminesce Alliance.

The Alliance is a unique world-class paediatric research cooperative, comprising five leading health delivery and medical research organisations in NSW – Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Children’s Cancer Institute, the Children’s Medical Research Institute, University of New South Wales and University of Sydney. Our researchers across these organisations work collaboratively to deliver better health outcomes for children, particularly those impacted by cancer, early onset diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Despite medical advances, cancer and inherited diseases are the leading causes of death in children worldwide. At least one in 20 babies is born with an inherited disease or neurodevelopmental disorder and around 1,000 young people are diagnosed with cancer annually in Australia. Many diseases of adulthood start in childhood, so advances in detection and treatment benefit the whole community. The new funding will allow Luminesce Alliance to continue to grow as a paediatric research powerhouse and will make a difference to the lives of children diagnosed with cancer and genetic diseases and their families and provide long-term health and economic benefits to the community.

The four-year funding commitment will allow the Alliance to develop infrastructure and collaborative networks known as Enabling Platforms. Leading researchers, from across our partner organisations, will focus on improving the understanding and application of paediatric precision medicine in five areas:

• Functional genomics: identifying and understanding disease-causing genes and new treatments
• Data: using big data to improve detection, treatment, and outcomes
• Precision therapy: delivering new drugs and novel medical technologies that will support early phase clinical trials
• Psychosocial: developing world-leading best practice for psychological, emotional, social, and educational support of patients and their caregivers
• Health systems implementation and economic research: translating research discoveries into new models of care.

About Luminesce Alliance: First funded by a $24 million investment from the NSW Government in 2019, Luminesce Alliance created its first enabling platform: the Centre for Paediatric Precision Medicine.  From that initial funding, the Alliance leveraged more than $294 million in additional funding, a 12-fold return on investment.

The Alliance has already supported ground-breaking research, clinical trials and pursued gene discovery and therapy approaches, and enhanced national precision medicine programs such as the Zero Childhood Cancer program.