Western Australian researchers are set to benefit from a major expansion in molecular imaging and radiopharmaceutical capability following construction of the new radiochemistry laboratories and cyclotron facility at RAPID Labs, located at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
The expanded facility includes a second cyclotron and new radiopharmaceutical laboratories that will increase local production capacity for radiopharmaceuticals used in PET and SPECT imaging for research and clinical applications, such as diagnosis and treatment of many cancers, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, heart diseases, thyroid disorders and more.
The project represents a significant collaboration between the Western Australia Node of the National Imaging Facility (WA NIF), The University of Western Australia , RAPID Labs, the Department of Health, the National Imaging Facility through the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) and a range of philanthropic and research partners.
UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Anna Nowak said the partnership demonstrated the importance of collaboration between universities, hospitals, government and national research infrastructure providers.
“This project highlights what can be achieved when institutions work together to build shared research capability,” Professor Nowak said.
“The integration of RAPID Labs and WA NIF infrastructure creates a powerful platform for innovation that will support researchers across multiple disciplines, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological research.”
WA NIF and UWA have funded and established a dedicated research radiopharmaceutical laboratory within the new facility, providing researchers with access to advanced infrastructure to support the development and translation of new imaging agents and therapies ‘from bench to bedside’.
WA NIF Node Director Professor Paul M Parizel said the co-location of RAPID Labs and WA NIF imaging infrastructure created an important opportunity to strengthen translational research capability in Western Australia.
“Researchers will have greater access to the radiopharmaceuticals and imaging technologies needed to support discovery research, preclinical studies and clinical trials, helping accelerate the translation of research into improved patient outcomes,” Professor Parizel said.
“This collaboration brings together radiopharmaceutical production, imaging infrastructure and research expertise in a way that will significantly strengthen Western Australia’s health and medical research ecosystem.”
The expansion is expected to improve opportunities for WA-based researchers to recruit patients for national and international clinical trials, particularly as the facility progresses toward Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification.
Currently, many radiopharmaceuticals required for clinical trials must be transported from interstate due to GMP requirements, limiting access and participation opportunities for WA patients and researchers.
The infrastructure will also support WA’s only preclinical PET-SPECT-CT imaging capability, operated through the WA NIF Node and UWA, enabling researchers to test new diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals before progressing into human studies.
Demand for radiopharmaceuticals continues to grow globally, driven by advances in personalised medicine, targeted therapies and precision imaging.
The expanded infrastructure at SCGH and the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre precinct positions Western Australia to support growing research demand while strengthening local capability in molecular imaging and radiopharmaceutical science.
The project has been supported through contributions from UWA, NIF, the Department of Health, the Ian Potter Foundation, Stan Perron Foundation, Lotterywest, Cancer Council WA, Perron Institute, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and Murdoch University.
