35 years of kids’ health research,
THE KIDS RESEARCH INSTITUTE AUSTRALIA
With
Professor Jonathan Carapetis AM,
Paediatrician & Executive Director
The Kids Research Institute Australia
RESEARCH IMPACT
Filmed in Perth, Western Australia | January 2026
The Kids Research Institute Australia is one of the largest and most successful medical research institutes in Australia. The Institute has created a blueprint that brings together community, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and funders, who share our vision to improve the health and wellbeing of children through excellence in research.
The Institute is headed by leading paediatrician and infectious diseases expert Professor Jonathan Carapetis, with Founding Director Professor Fiona Stanley now Patron.
The Kids is independent and not-for-profit. The majority of funding comes from our success in winning national and international competitive research grants. They also receive significant philanthropic support from corporate Australia and the community.
In November 2025, The Kids Research Institute Australia celebrated 35 years of bold ideas, groundbreaking research, and the people who find answers to the big questions about better health outcomes for children and families.
Since his appointment in 2012, Professor Carapetis has guided The Kids through a period of significant scientific achievement, organisational growth, and increased impact — all anchored to the Institute’s vision of ensuring happy, healthy kids.
During his tenure, Professor Carapetis oversaw major advancements in child health research, including discoveries that have influenced policy and practice, such as the recent adoption of RSV vaccinations.
He led the Institute through key milestones including the transition to new headquarters at Perth Children’s Hospital, the development of the Research Reimagined strategic plan, and the creation of a new, fresh brand.
Under Professor Carapetis’ leadership, The Kids strengthened its position as a national leader in child health research, building collaborations across Australia and internationally, supporting researchers and WA families through the COVID-19 pandemic, and driving a culture that has evolved traditional models of research, to accelerate and amplify impact, for children and their families.
Also announced in November 2025, was the news that Professor Carapetis will step down as Executive Director in July 2026, after 14 years of distinguished leadership.
Source: Adapted using The Kids Research Institute Australia news stories
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Ocular disease and early onset myopia
Dr Mountford has successfully established Western Australia’s first and only ocular genetic screening platform using zebrafish and utilises this model to help elucidate some of the complex gene-environment interactions responsible for the development of myopia.
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Leukaemia microenvironment & high risk childhood leukaemia
Associate Professor Laurence Cheung is now an Associate Professor at the Curtin Medical School as well as Curtin Medical Research Institute, and a Co-head of the Leukaemia Translational Research Laboratory at The Kids.
He has attracted over $8.7 million in research funding, including 16 awards as CIA (over $6.1 million). Assoc Prof Cheung was named the 2019 Cancer Council of WA Early Career Cancer Researcher of the Year and received the STEM Early Career Research Award at Curtin University in 2019.
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Radiation therapy techniques and combination treatments for sarcoma
Professor Angela Hong MBBS, MMed, PhD, FRANZCR is a Professor at Sydney Medical School of the University of Sydney. She is a radiation oncologist and has been a member of the Multidisciplinary Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Clinic at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital/Chris O’Brien Lifehouse for the past 15 years.
As a radiation oncologist located in Sydney, Australia, Professor Hong is focused on treating patients with bone and soft tissue sarcoma. And as a clinician scientist, her research focuses on developing innovative radiation therapy technique and combination treatments to improve the outcome for patients with sarcoma.
