International leadership role for Queensland rehabilitation research team

A multi-million dollar Queensland Government injection into an accident rehabilitation research centre will allow it to develop an international role, according to The University of Queensland's Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Hay.

Queensland Treasurer David Hamill has announced an additional $14 million of funding over the next five years for the Centre of National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine, known as CONROD, based at The University of Queensland.

The funding is being provided by Queensland's Motor Accident Insurance Commission, which is the regulatory authority for the compulsory third party insurance scheme.

Professor Hay said the additional funding is a welcome boost to an area of health that has often been neglected in the past.

'The funding will allow the centre to broaden its world-class research work, and will obviously bring significant benefits to injured Queenslanders,' he said.

Director of the Centre, Professor Nicholas Bellamy said the extra funding would allow CONROD to build a multi-disciplined research team.

'An important element of this strategy is the development of a trauma registry, already partly established by CONROD and Queensland Health, which collects the history and treatment of all seriously injured Queenslanders,' Professor Bellamy said.

'This information will greatly assist research into injury, acute care and ways to improve rehabilitation from traumatic injuries, particularly those arising from road accidents.'

CONROD was established in 1997 by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission, The University of Queensland and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research. The Commission has been providing about $700,000 a year to the Centre.

For more information contact Professor Nicholas Bellamy on 07 3365 5560 or Peter McCutcheon at UQ Communications on 07 3365 1088 or at communications@mailbox.uq.edu.au