Garvan-Weizmann Partnership celebrates 10 years
Scientists and supporters celebrated a decade of Garvan-Weizmann collaboration.
A decade of achievements and shared vision was celebrated at the Garvan–Weizmann Partnership’s 10th anniversary dinner on August 20 at Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
More than 45 guests attended, and nine Garvan research professors and staff, including chief scientific officer Professor Sarah Kummerfeld.
The international keynote speaker was Professor Alon Chen – a leading neuroscientist and president of the Rehovot-based Weizmann Institute of Science – who travelled from Israel.
Other speakers were Garvan CEO and executive director Professor Benjamin Kile, Garvan Research Foundation director Mara-Jean Tilley, former Garvan board member and current Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal, and Weizmann Australia chair Sam Weiss.
The Garvan–Weizmann Partnership was formalised in 2016 during an Australia–Israel Chamber of Commerce NSW delegation to Israel led by then NSW premier Mike Baird, with a memorandum of understanding signed between the two institutes.
Seed funding from the NSW government and philanthropists including Segal – who was then AICC’s chair – John Roth, the late Laurie and Di Sutton, and the Johnny Kahlbetzer Family, enabled the purchase of genomics technology, and the commencement of the partnership’s earliest research programs.
In comments of reflection following the 10th anniversary dinner, Weiss said, “Our week with Professor Alon Chen was both inspiring and uplifting and audiences in Sydney and Melbourne were mesmerised.”
Weiss also spoke of last year’s Iranian missile strike on part of Weizmann’s main Rehovot campus, noting guests “recoiled to hear about the half a billion dollars of damage”, before expressing relief that “donors from around the world closed the financial gap” for rebuilding, which is well under way.
“Peter Singer was quoted recently about his advocacy for ‘intelligent philanthropy’ when he said: ‘first make the profit, then make it work’ – encouraging generous people to select wise philanthropic investments. The Garvan–Weizmann Partnership exemplifies his thinking.”
Over the decade, its joint teams of scientists have driven major discoveries.
Professors Michelle McDonald (Garvan) and Ziv Shulman (Weizmann) developed 3D bone-imaging techniques revealing how dormant cancer cells hide in bone niches – a key driver of relapse.
Dr Manu Singh (Garvan) and Professor Yardena Samuels (Weizmann) identified melanoma neo-antigens, opening a path to custom cancer vaccines.
Dr Sara Ballouz (Garvan) – who served as a Magid Fellow – mapped X-chromosome immune markers linked to female-biased autoimmunity, informing diagnostics for chronic fatigue syndrome and long-COVID.
Professors Stuart Tangye (Garvan) and Ido Amit (Weizmann) profiled rare genetic immune deficiencies relevant to broader disease.
The partnership also supported a bilateral scientific animation exchange that is now used by clinicians around the world, and the Scheinberg Fellowship has empowered outstanding research leaders to drive transformative discoveries across cellular genomics and human immunity.
Current projects include an intracellular oncology biologics initiative targeting intracellular cancer proteins previously considered “undruggable”; and research into cellular triggers of colitis.