Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences
Centre for Rheumatic Diseases

The Centre for Rheumatic Diseases was originally founded in 1995 as a joint venture between the Arthritis Foundation of Victoria, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the University of Melbourne. Each partner contributed its expertise to support the centre, recognising the importance of rheumatic diseases and the need to improve the academic profile of rheumatology in Victoria.

The University of Melbourne provides the academic framework for the Centre, which is located within the University's Department of Medicine (RMH-WH) and the centre is also closely linked with the activities of the Rheumatology Unit of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, one of the largest and busiest Rheumatology departments in Australia, and a range of other organisations.

The Director of the Centre is Professor Ian Wicks, supported by a number of clinical and academic research staff.

The Centre's activities, aimed at fostering clinical and public health research and medical undergraduate and postgraduate education, are supported by this close relationship with the Rheumatology unit, RMH.

While the Centre is not directly responsible for teaching of undergraduate medical students, staff are involved in the clinical and pre-clinical training of these students. The Centre offers a post graduate teaching and supervisory program for Doctoral and Masters degree candidates.

Strategic Objectives

The objectives of the Centre are:

1. To improve the care and well-being of people in Victoria with various forms of arthritis and related conditions.
2. To understand, control and eventually cure and prevent disease causing joint pain and disability by undertaking and stimulating basic and applied research.
3. To improve the understanding of medical students, doctors, allied health professionals and the community of the effects and most appropriate management of joint disease through coordinated educational programs and dissemination of information .

Strategic Aims

The strategic aims of the Centre include:

• To improve the understanding of the biological basis of arthritis and related conditions.
• To improve the quality and effectiveness of health services for arthritis and related conditions.
• To foster clinical research in arthritis and related conditions.
• To improve community education and information sharing for people with arthritis and related conditions.
• To improve medical education in arthritis and related conditions for undergraduate and postgraduate students and for allied health professionals.

Confidentiality

The Centre is covered by the University of Melbourne privacy statement, which can be accessed at http://www.unimelb.edu.au/disclaimer/privacy.html.