Future Geelong: Local research shapes health outcomes

Kids who are the future of Geelong are helping researchers around the world through an ambitious cohort study, as the city cements its status as a health knowledge hub.

Professor Peter Vuillermin and Barwon Infant Study participant Eliza Breen, 11, and mum Angie. Picture: Alison Wynd

Kids who are the future of Geelong are helping researchers around the world through an ambitious cohort study, as the city cements its status as a health knowledge hub.

Back in the early 2010s, 1074 babies were recruited for the Barwon Infant Study (BIS).

Study co-lead Peter Vuillermin said BIS, a collaboration between Barwon Health, Deakin University and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, exemplified “cutting edge science meets people power”.

“As it’s grown we’ve attracted many students to the region,” Professor Vuillermin said.

It was the first human study to produce evidence linking the bacteria in the mother’s gut during pregnancy to risk of pre-eclampsia, the development of the baby’s immune system, the baby’s risk of allergic disease and the baby’s behaviour during early childhood.

In addition to physical issues like allergy, BIS researchers are examining neurodevelopmental components like ADHD.

More than 70 papers have already been published thanks to the study, which involves researchers around the world.

Participants have ongoing reviews as part of the research.

“I don’t think you could get this in Melbourne, I don’t think you’d get the same level of community engagement,” he said.

Belmont’s Angie Breen joined the study when pregnant with daughter Eliza, now 11.

“Both my husband and I chose to be involved to help child research,” Ms Breen said.

“It’s been a terrific experience.

“Eliza’s very keen on science and being a scientist when she’s grown up.”

Prof Vuillermin, who is director of research at Barwon Health and chair in medicine at Deakin’s school in medicine, said BIS findings had covered “a huge array of different topics” and made important contributions.

Barwon Health is the region’s largest employer with thousands of staff, and its Adrian Costa Clinical Trials Centre officially opened last year.

Geelong also boasts two private hospitals and health insurer GMHBA is headquartered in the city.

GMHBA CEO David Greig. Picture: Supplied

GMHBA chief executive David Greig said it had been part of the community in Geelong for 90 years.

“We’ve seen significant population growth and urban expansion in that time,” Mr Greig said.

He said for Geelong to really establish itself as a modern, attractive city, it needed a strong local health system and that would require a clearer focus on increasing our medical workforce and improving accessibility to services.

Mr Greig said GMHBA had been working with educators and healthcare organisations to seek to improve the transparency and agility of talent pathways in the region.

“GMHBA has established a partnership with Deakin to help strengthen career pathways and retain practitioners to work locally once they graduate,” he said.

“We also continue to expand our health services arm of the business.

“Our first multidisciplinary hub in Belmont opened last year and we have a second hub due to open later this year on Moorabool Street under our head office.”

“We will continue to invest in prevention and wellbeing programs and will be bringing on more staff to support with delivery, with a forecast eight per cent in employee growth this year.”

David Greig

In one word, describe what Geelong stands for:

Community

Describe what you think Geelong should stand for:

Good strategy is about finding intersection between our region’s unique resources, available space in market and meeting theneeds of our target audience.

That intersection in Geelong is the great outdoors. We have an opportunity to become the ecocity and outdoor lifestyle capitalof Australia.

Describe what differentiates Geelong from other regional cities (either domestically or internationally):

You would be hard pressed to find anywhere that has the quality and breadth of brilliant natural spaces that Geelong has.The surf coast, the bay, the Otways, the You Yangs, the wine region and the river. We are so lucky to live and work here.

Originally published as Future Geelong: Local research shapes health outcomes