Careers with PNGIMR

A strong medical research capability is important for the health and advancement of every nation. This is exemplified by the standing of medical research institutes in industrialized nations and the support given them by government and people alike. Because of the enormous health problems they face, less developed nations should give particular support to health-related research, but, regrettably, this is rarely so. One of the few exceptions has been Papua New Guinea where there is a longstanding commitment to health research, through a National Institute of Medical Research, that receives strong support from the Health Department and workers in the health sector.

All the Institute's research is applied research: it is problem driven rather than curiosity driven. The problems are specific diseases or the health problems in a particular area or among a particular group. The Institute is organized principally around its problem-based research programs - pneumonia, malaria, enteric diseases, nutrition, sexual health, women's health, filariasis, and other diseases. Cutting across these are units based on scientific disciplines: the epidemiology unit, the microbiology and immunology unit, the malaria and entomology unit, the molecular genetics unit, the medical anthropology unit, the computing and statistics unit, and the information and communication unit. A third structural dimension is provided by the sections of administration, finances, transport, library and laboratory management, which support all programs and units.

Though the Institute focuses on the health problems of Papua New Guinea, the standard of research conducted has brought it high international standing. The Institute’s matchless publication record, in the most prestigious international journals, bears witness to the global significance of the work undertaken. This has led to longstanding collaborations with research groups in Europe, North America and Australia, which have brought into PNG not only diverse expertise, but also substantial project funding.