The CUHK-Monash University Innovation Alliance has been established as an integrated transnational collaboration to co-develop and co-invest in thematic areas of shared excellence in medical education and research. Synergistic collaborations are expected to lead to the development of high impact research programs and innovative medical education platforms.

Formed between the medical faculties of each university, the Alliance aims to generate collaborative research enterprises that will have long-term, significant impact on biomedical, health research and education for both institutions.

The research initiatives are currently focused on translational medicine:

• Stem cell biology and regenerative medicine
• Innovative medical devices

Specifically, the Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM) at CUHK has partnered with ARMI in the area of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

As an integral element of the alliance, ARMI is central to a PhD exchange program that has been established as a program of the Alliance. Selected PhD students enrolled in the ARMI program are co-supervised by key researchers from both ARMI and the CUHK Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

When Australia became an Associate Member of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in 2008, the Australian Department of Industry allocated responsibility for all EMBL-related activities in Australia to ARMI through Monash University.  ARMI has been integral to the establishment of the EMBL Australia Partner Laboratory, with nodes in Victoria, New South Wales and Victoria, the EMBL Australia Bioinformatics Resource (based at the University of Queensland and later at The University of Melbourne), the national EMBL Australia Training Programs and other EMBL related programs in Australia.

EMBL Australia was created to maximise the benefits of Australia’s associate membership of EMBL and does so via research projects, infrastructure and training programs across Australia, embedding powerful new enabling tools such as bioinformatics and systems biology in Australian life science. ARMI continues to maintain links with the EMBL, Europe’s leading life sciences research laboratory and works closely with Monash’s Biomedical Discovery Institute (BDI) which currently hosts EMBL Australia.

ARMI’s Director of Research Professor Peter Currie is the head of the Victorian node and three of ARMI’s group leaders are EMBL Australia Partner Network Lab Group Leaders. The linkage with EMBL through the EMBL Australia Partner Laboratory Network provides the Institute with access to the unique and successful EMBL research model which has been shown to attract the best and brightest young researchers to become future research leaders.

ARMI has a cooperative agreement with internationally recognised US research centre, the Jackson Laboratory, an independent non-profit biomedical research institution dedicated to contributing to a future of better health care based on the unique genetic makeup of each individual.

The Laboratory’s mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health. The agreement creates opportunities for exchange of faculty, postgraduate students and research staff; establish programs in areas of teaching, research or university administration and identify other areas of possible interest and collaboration. The Jackson Laboratory brings key mouse biology expertise including husbandry training and unique mouse model services to the Institute.

The Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratories (MDIBL) and ARMI have finalised an MOU that outlines the intent of the MDIBL and ARMI to collaborate in scientific, education and public and political relations activities that are mutually beneficial and serve to advance both organisations.

The new agreement is designed to facilitate the creation of an international exchange program between faculty and students at the two research institutions, including graduate students conducting PhD thesis research at the MDI Biological Laboratory and Monash University, and Monash University medical students.

The partnership also opens the possibility of developing biotech business connections between Maine and Australia in areas of shared interest.

SBI Australia has been established at ARMI as the first node of Japan’s internationally recognised Systems Biology Institute.

The node connects and promotes collaboration between Japanese and Australian research and industry partners, and facilitates the sharing of scientific technology, resources and expertise.  SBI Australia develops and supports the Australian systems biology research community, through the provision of training and advice, facilitation and making national and international linkages.

In the short time since its establishment, SBI Australia has attracted national and international attention.  Unique research programs adopting a system biology approach have been progressing at ARMI with international collaborators.

ARMI is keen to expand its global collaborative network to South America. Intercontinental interactions over the last two years have resulted in the creation of an innovative South American Program.

The program aims to provide a mutually beneficial relationship with South American laboratories and researchers which includes:

• Establishment of research collaborations and exchange of scientific knowledge
• Provision of infrastructure and expertise
• Exchange of expertise and placement of competitive researchers at ARMI for doctoral or postdoctoral programs

Because of this program, ARMI has partnered with leading laboratories in Brazil and Chile to host a symposium series over a three-year period. Held in 2017 in Melbourne, Australia, the first ABC symposium was conducted over a two-day period with high profile researchers from all three countries.

The Australia Brazil Chile Regenerative Medicine and Developmental Biology Symposium Series (the ABC Symposia) is a long-term initiative developed by ARMI in conjunction with South American colleagues to strengthen relationships between ARMI and the active research currently undertaken in South America. Current participants include researchers from the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory, the University of Campinas in Brazil, the University of Chile and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

The engagement with South American research organisations and researchers provides opportunities for unique collaborations, and through staff exchanges, support for the Institute’s early career researcher and student program recruitment.