The Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD) marked a historic milestone this week, welcoming partners, supporters and guests to celebrate the establishment of Australia’s first hospital-based biomedical engineering research and education centre.
The event, ahead of the Official Opening in 2026, was a moment of reflection and anticipation, honouring the vision that began with Venerable Mary Aikenhead and the Sisters of Charity, and celebrating the collaboration that has turned a bold idea into a living, breathing centre of discovery.
ACMD CEO Jeff Malone opened the proceedings, welcoming guests and acknowledging the hundreds of people across partner organisations whose collective efforts have brought ACMD to life.
“People look at ACMD and ask how many staff we have,” he said. “I say twelve in-house and hundreds across our partners. It’s really all of you who have helped make this possible.
Chris Blake, Group CEO of St Vincent’s Health Australia and ACMD Board Member, reflected on the legacy of the Sisters of Charity and their fearless commitment to innovation in healthcare.
“They saw that compassion and excellence are the core of our work, not just at the bedside, but in research, laboratories and new technologies that enable better care,” he said.
“Healthcare will change more in the next five years than it has in the past hundred. Innovation must be at the heart of that transformation, and ACMD embodies that purpose.”
Mr Blake highlighted ACMD’s role as a living laboratory where clinical care and research converge, citing pioneering projects already underway, from AI-enhanced breast cancer screening to 3D-printed bone and cartilage repair, and implantable brain-monitoring devices.
“All of these projects are ACMD projects,” he said. “And none would be possible without this environment that brings people together to innovate.”
He paid tribute to ACMD Chair, Brenda Shanahan AO, acknowledging her vision and perseverance.
“If ACMD were a village,” he said, “Brenda would be its mayor — the one who kept pushing until we arrived here today.”
Professor Michael Wesley, Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, spoke on behalf of ACMD’s academic and research partners, describing the Centre as “a shining example” of collaboration in action.
“For us, it’s important that ACMD’s operating model is about collaboration, not competition,” he said. “Good partnering builds trust, and with that comes excitement about ACMD’s potential to deliver impact at scale.”
Professor Wesley likened ACMD’s promise to the pioneering spirit behind the cochlear implant, which not only transformed lives but catalysed an entire medtech sector.
“This is how great medical innovation works,” he said. “It begins in places like ACMD, where discovery meets need, and impact follows.”
Closing the ceremony, Brenda Shanahan AO reflected on the journey from vision to reality.
“I have learned that the mind has no walls — and that is what has brought us all together,” she said. “We have come from an era of silos to one where medicine, engineering, science and business work side by side. The ACMD will transform the future of healthcare with innovation and collaboration at its core.”
As guests explored the new facility and gathered in the Ian Potter Research Lounge overlooking the constant of the historic Exhibition Buildings, one theme resonated: the power of partnership to engineer our healthcare future.
Photography: Adrienne Bizzarri
