Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network

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The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network was established in 2010, marking a significant milestone for paediatric services in NSW. The Network – a partnership of Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick (SCH) and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW), is committed in improving the health and wellbeing of children, through clinical care, research, education and advocacy, helping them live their healthiest lives.

More than 5000 staff work across the Network – a total of 155,089 children were cared for in 2018, including almost 50,000 inpatient admissions, more than 95,000 Emergency Department presentations and approximately a million outpatient service visits.

Working together with partners of Luminesce Alliance, the Network’s large clinical capacity is significant towards research developments. Clinical research is conducted at Kids Research, the research division of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network through specialised Clinical Research Centres, with over 80 studies being conducted per year. As Luminesce Alliance furthers their new developments into Precision Medicine, Kids Research will play a significant role with the translation of new treatment methods for cancer and genetic diseases.

For more information on Kids Research, visit their website here: http://www.kidsresearch.org.au/

The Kids Cancer Centre (KCC) at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, led by Associate Professor Tracey O’Brien, also plays a vital role in translating research to clinical practice. As part of Luminesce Alliance’s Paediatric Precision Medicine program, this world leading facility has partnered with the Children’s Cancer Institute in establishing a computational biology program, allowing them to analyse a wide variety of medical and scientific data taken directly from patients’ tumours. From here, clinical trials conducted by A/Prof David Ziegler, through the Kids Oncology and Leukaemia (KOALA) Clinical Trials Unit at Kids Cancer Centre, will translate the patient specific data into improved and personalized treatment methods.

For more information on the Kids Cancer Centre, visit their website here: http://www.kidscancercentre.com/

The Network has also developed a pilot for a new innovative Newborn Screening Program. As one of Luminesce Alliance’s current projects, this screening program will utilize DNA-based research to detect infants at risk of developing genetic diseases such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDs). Dr Michelle Farrar, based at SCH, is working with Associate Professor Veronica Wiley, Principal Scientist at the CHW’s Newborn Screening Program, to develop what will become a state-wide test for newborns.

For more information on the Newborn Screening Program, visit here: https://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/find-a-service/laboratory-services/newborn-screening