The St Vincent’s Clinic Research Foundation extends its heartfelt thanks to the Packer Family Foundation for their generous donation of $600,000, which will continue to drive critical medical research and future breakthroughs in patient care.

Since 2021, the Sister Mary Bernice, Packer Family Foundation Grant has provided an annual grant of $120,000, enabling researchers to advance innovative projects at the St Vincent’s Darlinghurst campus. This grant has supported groundbreaking studies aimed at enhancing treatments and improving outcomes for patients.

Sister Mary Bernice Elphick rsc AC, OBE (1921–2008), a former Administrator of St Vincent’s Private Hospital, was a pioneering figure in healthcare. Under her leadership, St Vincent’s was transformed into a modern and prominent medical and research institution. Her vision of delivering world-class healthcare, combined with her unwavering dedication to patient care, is the driving force behind this grant, which continues her legacy of fostering medical innovation and excellence at the St Vincent’s Precinct.

The recipients of the Sister Mary Bernice, Packer Family Foundation Grant include:

2024: Prof Christopher Hayward for his research on improving the safety of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) to reduce mortality in cardiogenic shock.

2023: Dr Craig Haifer, leading a randomised control trial on faecal microbial transplantation to manage immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated colitis.

2022: Prof Jerry Greenfield for his trial on the impact of SGLT2 inhibitors on metabolic, renal, and cardiac outcomes in recent heart transplant recipients.

2021: Prof Jerry Greenfield for his study on the immune and metabolic phenotype of autoantibody-negative diabetes in adults.

The Sister Mary Bernice, Packer Family Foundation Grant supports a wide range of research projects. All grant applications undergo a rigorous review by the St Vincent’s Clinic Research Foundation Scientific Committee before final approval by the Foundation’s Advisory Board and Board.

The latest recipient, Dr Ross Penglase, will use the grant to advance research on enhancing cell therapy for safer treatment of severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. This grant will commence in 2025.

Mrs Roslyn Packer, AC, a longstanding member of the St Vincent’s Clinic Research Foundation Advisory Board, has supported this vital research for over 30 years. Her enduring association with the St Vincent’s Precinct, including her role as a Board Member of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, demonstrates her unwavering commitment to medical innovation.

This latest donation will further empower researchers to deliver cutting-edge treatments and medical discoveries that improve lives for years to come.