Sir James and Malcolm McCusker
The McCusker Alzheimer's Research Foundation Inc was established in 2001 to broaden the sources of funding and public support for the growing research activity of Professor Ralph Martins.
It also educates the public about the need for research into Alzheimer's and promotes support for the world leading research being conducted here in WA.
Professor Ralph Martins - then a senior lecturer - first established his research laboratory at Hollywood Repatriation General Hospital in the early 1990s. This was made possible with the support of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) which funded his salary through the University of Western Australia (UWA) and provided laboratory and office accommodation at the hospital.
Sir James McCusker provided funding, through UWA, to support student research projects under Professor Martins's supervision. This allowed for significant expansion of Alzheimer's research. (A number of Professor Martins' former students stayed on to become postdoctoral research colleagues in the current team). The research unit was subsequently named the Sir James McCusker Alzheimer's Disease Research Laboratory ("the Research Laboratory") in recognition of Sir James McCusker's support, which is continued by the McCusker family to this day.
The Hollywood Repatriation General Hospital was privatised in 1994 as Hollywood Private Hospital (HPH) and became part of the Ramsay Health Care Group. HPH continued to provide accommodation for the laboratory on site until the major redevelopment of the site in 2007 meant it no longer had space available. It continues to provide tremendous support to the Foundation.
In 2011 the McCusker Alzheimer's Research Foundation purchased a new building for use as a human research laboratory with funding from LotteryWest. At the same time, it purchased a suite in the Hollywood Medical Centre for its administrative headquarters.
Dr Martins was appointed Foundation Professor of Ageing and Alzheimer's disease at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in 2001. As DVA was winding up its funding of Hollywood-based academic positions, ECU assumed funding for Professor Martins' position. He retains an Adjunct Professorship at UWA as well.
As part of relocating to ECU, Prof Martins was provided with research facilities on site at their Joondalup campus. The Research Laboratory now spans two sites: Nedlands and Joondalup. Under an agreement between the McCusker Foundation and ECU, the administration of the Research Laboratories at both sites has been transferred to ECU. The McCusker Foundation funds the research in partnership with ECU.
Dr Roger Clarnette is a geriatrician based at Fremantle Hospital and the Specialist Clinical suites onsite at Hollywood Private Hospital. He had been conducting clinical trials into potential treatments for Alzheimers' Disease, under contract to drug companies, for some years.
Dr Clarnette joined the McCusker Foundation in 2001 and offered his clinical trials to the Foundation to provide a source of funds for future research. Under this arrangement, Dr Clarnette continues to lead these trials in a unit known as the Clinical Trials Division, with corporate support provided by the Foundation. Any income in excess of costs from the trials goes to Foundation.
McCUSKER