From the director
At WEHI, we are driven by a commitment to understand biology and through that to improve health for people everywhere, no matter their background or where they live.
We achieve impact through deep collaborations with partners worldwide, strengthening local capacity and ensuring solutions are shaped with the communities they aim to serve.
As our feature story demonstrates, integrating local insights with international expertise is essential to developing tailored approaches.
Working with clinical teams in remote Brazilian communities, researchers collect blood samples vital to understanding malaria, a daily threat for millions of people. The journey of these samples from the Amazon to Parkville highlights the importance of investing in trusted partnerships and precise logistics to support communities facing health disadvantage.
Closer to home, our study into the gut health of First Nations infants highlights the power of research that is co‑designed with community. Working with Elders and health workers in the Northern Territory, researchers found First Nations infants living in remote communities begin life with a uniquely rich and diverse gut microbiome. This strong marker of early‑life health provides an important ‘blueprint’ for understanding how to protect that diversity over time.
