Howard Florey Institute
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Howard Florey Institute, also known as the Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, is a world-renowned Australian medical and research institute that undertakes clinical and applied research into treatments to combat brain and mind disorders and the cardiovascular system. The institute is based at the University of Melbourne and in 2005 employed 300 staff, including many scientists and postgraduate students from overseas.
Areas being researched by scientists include: Parkinson’s Disease, Stroke, Motor neurone disease, Traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, Addiction, Epilepsy, Multiple sclerosis, Brain development in premature babies, Autism, Heart failure, and Memory loss.
[edit] History
The Institute was established in 1971 by the Victorian State Government and named after Howard Florey, the Australian Nobel prize winning scientist who developed penicillin. It is a global leader in the scientific areas of: physiological control of body fluid and electrolyte balance, especially the regulation of the adrenal salt-retaining hormone, aldosterone; instincts that control ingestion; and the Relaxin hormone. In 1997 it also chose to specialise in neuroscience research.
The origins of the institute are based on the 1947 ground breaking work of the founder, Dr Derek Denton, and his investigation into the control of salt and water balance in health and disease.
