A new centre to provide training and develop career pathways in the biomedical and health sciences sector has been established at Menzies.

The Ramaciotti Regional and Remote Health Sciences Training Centre is developing a sustainable, local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander biomedical and health sciences workforce in the Northern Territory (NT). The centre also offers training opportunities to non-Indigenous NT youth.

Currently, there is a shortage of biomedical staff in the NT and much of the workforce is transitory. The Menzies-Ramaciotti Centre provides a new pathway into the laboratory and health sector for regional and remote youth, with a focus on career development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.

Mark Mayo, associate deputy director of Indigenous Engagement and Leadership at Menzies and co-lead of the centre says that despite the challenges of COVID-19, the centre has accomplished an enormous amount in its first year.

“The COVID-19 pandemic presented some unique challenges in the establishment of the Centre, including placing limitations on our ability to visit regional and remote community partners,” Mark says.

“Despite this, the centre has partnered with internal and external stakeholders to engage more than 30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Northern Territory youth in biomedical and health sciences training.”

Mark knows firsthand the importance of developing career pathways in health sciences having started at Menzies in 1992 as a lab trainee.

The centre focuses on delivering high-quality training in order to develop a local biomedical workforce for rural and remote northern Australia. Students benefit from training in the latest technology, industry partnerships, dedicated trainers, mentoring programs, internships across institutions, and access to Menzies researchers and networks.

Students can undertake a range of educational and workplace training experiences, including laboratory techniques, data analysis, computer literacy, literature reviews, coding and bioinformatics, health promotion and allied health.

Laboratory-based training includes microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, biochemistry, parasitology, genomics, metagenomics, microbiomics and transcriptomics. Students also undertake training in Good Clinical Laboratory Practice and clinical trials.

Associate Professor Heidi Smith-Vaughan, a principal research fellow at Menzies and co-lead of the centre is excited by what the year ahead has in store.

“In 2021 we are looking to build on the significant work we have achieved this year to refine our training programs and create more opportunities for Northern Territory youth to develop biomedical and health sciences skills,” Heidi says.

“There is no shortage of youth approaching the centre for training opportunities and we are looking ahead both internally and externally to increase our supervisory capacity as our program continues to grow.”

Menzies will host an official launch of the centre in early February 2021. To find out more about the centre or study and training opportunities visit here. For all training enquiries, please complete our training enquiry form.