The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research

As we approach the end of 2024, we’re proud of what we have achieved at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and excited about where we are heading.

The year has been one of transition.

In March, we completed the final step in our change of affiliation to Macquarie University with our move to new purpose-built premises at 2 Innovation Road, to the University’s academic community and to the thriving innovation district that is Macquarie Park.

In August, Professor Paul Foster took up the role of Executive Director, following the retirement of Professor Emerita Carol Armour AM who had led the Woolcock for 12 years.

Professor Foster is an immunologist and a global leader in respiratory research. He started his career in Perth, completing his Honours degree in pharmacology focused on asthma research then moved to the Australian National University and where he worked on the role of immune cells in respiratory disease, which underpinned the development of current new drugs to treat asthma before moving to the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) at the University of Newcastle in 2003.

While there, he led three large centres of research excellence, including: as Director of the Priority Research Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease (CARD) (which he was instrumental in establishing); Director of the Virus, Infection/ Immunity, Vaccines and Asthma (VIVA) Program at the Hunter Medical Research Institute; and Director of the Newcastle node of the Cooperative Research Centre for Asthma and Airways (CRCAA).

He's proud of the work he did in Newcastle, building a world-class respiratory programme which spans basic biology right through to clinical trials and informing public policy. And he’s looking forward to leading the world-class researchers at the Woolcock.

Over the coming weeks he’ll be sharing his thoughts on why he’s a scientist, about asthma in the community, the changing environment, near and far horizons for respiratory and sleep research, collaboration, partnership, mentoring, reaching out and leading the Woolcock on the next part of its journey.

Find out more

• About Professor Paul Foster
• About the Woolcock