The last 12 months of intense activity at the BMRI has exceeded all our expectations. The commissioning of the Clinical and Translational Research Facility by Premier Iemma in February 2007 was a major landmark in our development of this unique campus devoted to clinical and basic neuroscience research. The subsequent announcement of a further $16 million to develop a dedicated Youth Mental Health Facility, brings the Iemma Government contribution to $22 million. To date, over $45 million has now been invested by the Federal and NSW Governments, private sponsors and the University of Sydney to commission approximately 15,000 square metres of clinical research suites, sophisticated animal and human neuroimaging capacity and basic laboratory and office space.

The rapid development in physical infrastructure is being matched by international and national recruitment of outstanding research staff. This has been complemented in 2007 by our successes in nationally-competitive major research grants and initiation of major industry partnerships. Increasingly, graduate and other higher degree students from medicine, health sciences and science (psychology, chemistry, physics) are based at the BMRI. At the end of 2007 over 100 staff and post-graduate students members are based here and we expect this to double again in the next 12 months.

The clinical research being conducted is now integrated with our major neuroimaging and other investigative research programs. Our clinical psychiatry focus is on those disorders (e.g. depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) that are associated with abnormalities in development of the brain in childhood or the teenage or early adult years. Our work in dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders is based solidly in new understandings of the disease pathways that underpin these conditions. Our continuing work in neurology introduces the latest treatments for patients with multiple sclerosis and other disabling conditions.

The opportunity to develop this campus was provided by the Vice Chancellor Gavin Brown and his vision and determination are now being rewarded by the national and international recognition of its outstanding potential. The BMRI provides the University of Sydney to consolidate its position as the leading institution in Brain and Mind Sciences in the Asia Pacific region. It can be clearly differentiated from other university or hospital-based developments in psychiatry, neurology or the basic brain sciences not only by its size and scope but more fundamentally by its commitment to the full integration of clinical services, clinical and translational research and basic brain sciences within the one institutional framework.