A new research facility located at Monash University will drive world-first research into the early detection of cardiac disease using ultra-sensitive biomedical imaging equipment supplied by Siemens.

Supported by a $7 million grant from the Victorian Government, the Monash Biomedical Imaging (MBI) centre was officially opened today by the Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business, Louise Asher.

The facility features state-of-the-art Siemens equipment, including pre-clinical and clinical scanners, which will be pivotal in assessing how imaging can detect plaque formation in the carotid arteries of elderly patients.

MBI Director, Professor Gary Egan said the facility's unique co-location with the Australian Synchrotron Imaging and Medical Beam Line, enabled advanced imaging techniques to predict cardiac function and disease onset in the elderly.

“The research at MBI could result in ground-breaking discoveries that may lead to the early detection of markers associated with the prevention of neurological and cardiovascular diseases including stroke," Professor Egan said.

Professor Egan said the facility would provide coordinated access and operational support to biomedical imaging infrastructure, as well as research training and advanced technological development in close collaboration with researchers and industry partners including Siemens.

Vice-President of Siemens Healthcare, Richard Guest, said there was an increasing demand for collaborative treatments incorporating imaging and drug therapies to assist in the goal of advancing human health.

“There is a significant shift in medical research towards the use of highly advanced body imaging which literally provides clinicians with a virtual 3D replica of the cardiovascular system, to detect and prevent disease,” Richard Guest said.

“This partnership allows for Monash and Siemens to join forces to identify these key indicators. Using world-class technology increases the accuracy significantly and places Monash amongst the leading biomedical imaging research centres in the world,” Mr Guest said.

The opening of MBI marked the establishment of a new node of the Victorian Biomedical Imaging Capability (VBIC) – a collaboration between Monash University, Swinburne University, The University of Melbourne and the Florey Neuroscience Institute - which the State Government granted a further $8.5 million in support.

The Government also recently announced $26 million for a further four years of operational funding for the Australian Synchrotron facility at the Clayton campus.

The research into predictors of cardiac disease will be undertaken as a sub-study of the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly trial.