Bellberry Makes it Possible

Bellberry Makes it Possible

Bellberry Limited is a national, private not-for-profit organisation that provides streamlined scientific and ethical review of human research projects across Australia. The Company was formed in 2004 following the recognition of a need for a Human Research Ethics Committee to service the valuable research being conducted within the private sector.

Bellberry Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) are the first of their type within Australia and are registered with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). They are private unaffiliated non institutional based committees that meet weekly right across Australia. Bellberry HRECs are designed to review and where appropriate approve and monitor human research projects.

Bellberry Human Research Ethics Committees comply with the strict guidelines as set by the NHMRC and ensure that ‘all kinds of research involving or impacting on humans conform to the highest standards of ethical practice and academic integrity.’

Since its inception, the Company’s altruistic model has seen more than $2.5m donated to human research undertaken within Australia.

In 2011 the University of Western Sydney was delighted to receive a generous donation of $300,000 from Bellberry. UWS has used the funds to support the following research projects.

Professor Jens Coorssen is the Foundation Professor of Molecular Physiology at the University of Western Sydney’s School of Medicine.

Jens has received funding from Bellberry for his exciting work on the mechanisms of calcium depended membrane functions. In the project well established diagnoses are used to test the hypothesis that critical phosphoproteins regulate specific functions in the Ca2 triggered membrane fusion pathway of regulated exocytosis. Only by understanding essential molecular mechanisms can we rationally address serious medical disorders. A strong, quantative Basic Biomedical research program provides solid grounding for Translational Research that addresses the problems of more immediate clinical relevance.

Dr David Mahns is a Senior Lecturer in Integrative Physiology at the University of Western Sydney’s School of Medicine. David specialises in quantifying the contribution of sensory nerves arising from skin and deep structures such as bones to perception. His recent work has focussed on defining how we distinguish between painful and painful stimuli.

David has received funding from Bellberry to look at the perception of discomfort and pain with the intention of defining its origin and contextual boundaries.

Dr Charlene Thornton is a Clinical Epidemiologist with a Masters of Medicine in Research and a Masters of Medicine in Clinical Epidemiology, with a long clinical career in midwifery prior to her move to academia. Her research interests include high risk pregnancies, birth outcomes, parent education and long term maternal complications following pregnancy and birth.

Charlene has received funding from Bellberry to look at the long term outcomes for women who received treatment for hypertension during their pregnancy.

For more information about Bellberry Ltd visit www.bellberry.com.au