Cardiff University’s Systems Immunity Research Institute and the Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University have signed a memorandum of understanding (Cardiff University, 2017).

The five year mutual agreement recognises highly productive joint projects already being conducted around inflammation and immunity, and provides a mechanism for enabling additional projects in the areas of research collaboration, exchange of materials, scholars and students, and co-operative seminars and workshops.

Professor Colin Riordan, Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University, said “The signing of the MoU celebrates another step forward in what will continue to be a highly successful exchange programme and transfer of knowledge between the two countries for the benefit of all.”

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Cardiff University’s College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Professor Dylan Jones, said “We are delighted to sign the MoU on behalf of Cardiff University with the Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash. Cardiff University already takes part in several productive activities with Monash in the area of biomedical research.”

Current high profile projects include several on lymphocyte receptor biology and a joint study that has revealed how HIV-I can evade the immune system.

Commenting on the HIV-I study, Professor Jamie Rossjohn, from Biomedicine Discovery Institute, said “This was an exciting and unexpected find that was only possible as a result of the close collaborative ties between Monash and Cardiff researchers.”

Commenting on a collaborative project that led to over £2m in funding to explore inflammatory mechanisms responsible for promotion of arthritis and cancer, Cardiff University’s Professor Simon Jones said “Cardiff and Monash share many common research interests, supporting our ambition to improve understanding of chronic disease progression and patient diagnosis and treatment.”

Joint research between the institutes has also involved visits of several early career investigators, including a prestigious Arthritis Research UK Travelling Fellowship to Dr Gareth Jones who worked for two years in Australia studying severe inflammatory arthritis. Similarly, Dr Claire Greenhill and Dr Tommy Liu moved from Melbourne to Cardiff to complete post-doctoral studies.

In June 2015, Professor Simon Jones and Professor Valerie O’Donnell, Co-Director of the Systems Immunity Research Institute, visited Monash to initiate the MoU on a Cardiff University International Travel Award. Valerie O’Donnell said “Cardiff and Monash have a long history of highly productive collaboration…Recognising this with an MOU will be transformational in allowing us to continue our work and attract more faculty and projects to participate in this exciting exchange programme.”