Telethon Kids Institute - Annual Report 2019

CONTENTS

4

8

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2019 HIGHLIGHTS

OUR IMPACT REPORT PHILANTHROPIC SPECTRUM

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR & DIRECTOR 14 10 16 26

WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO 28

OUR FINANCIALS

Telethon Kids Institute acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters of Australia.

We also acknowledge the Nyoongar Wadjuk, Yawuru, Kariyarra and Kaurna Elders, their people and their land upon which the Institute is located and seek their wisdom in our work to improve the health and development of all children.

At the Telethon Kids Institute, our vision is simplehappy healthy kids.

We bring together community, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and funders, who share our mission to improve the health, development and lives of children and young people through excellence in research.

Importantly, we want knowledge applied so it makes a difference.

Our strategic plan outlines four strategic pillars that build on our success and commitment to make a real difference in our community, which will benefit children and families everywhere.

Our people are not only our greatest asset but our greatest advocates and they really are passionate about what they do.

Our team is now more than 750 strong, made up of talented researchers, students and support staff with the commitment and drive to take on the toughest challenges.

In 2020, we celebrate 30 years of making a difference. Find out more at telethonkids.org.au

are at the of everything we do

COVER IMAGE: Dr Katia Haines in one of the specially-designed clinic rooms at CliniKids, the Institute’s stand-alone clinical service.

4

MESSAGE FROM THE

CHAIR & DIRECTOR

We have been a source of trusted information for families and children about coronavirus and the pandemic, distributed through social media and our website. While the effects of this pandemic are yet to be fully realised, we have been able to show very clearly the value of having strong, local medical research capacity, and our absolute commitment to responding to emerging threats to the health and wellbeing of our community.

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

collaboration providing geospatial intelligence on global malaria epidemiology and control, and his group is also the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Geospatial Modelling. His team has also played a crucial role in the national COVID-19 response.

We are also very pleased to welcome to the Institute our new Mitochondrial research team, led by Aleksandra Filipovska and Oliver Rackham, the Perioperative Medicine team with Professor Britta Reglivon Ungern-Sternberg, Dr Andre Schultz’s BREATH Team (Building Respiratory Equity For Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health), and Ingrid Laing’s new Children’s Respiratory Science team.

It’s often said that in adversity, lies opportunity. As we deliver this annual report, our community is still reeling from the sudden and severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here at Telethon Kids Institute it forced the temporary suspension of much of our planned clinical and laboratory research, as the families who so generously volunteer to participate in our studies went into isolation. Those of our staff who could work from home were asked to do so.

However, as Western Australia’s largest medical research facility, we had a critical role to play in the local, national and international response to COVID-19. Our expertise, particularly in respiratory and infectious diseases, data modelling, clinical trials, public health and mental health, were in demand by the health sector, governments and industry.

The agility of our staff in this period has been extraordinary. They have conceptualised, funded and implemented research in record time, taking just weeks to do what normally would take many months to achieve. We have provided information –modelling, infectious diseases advice and public health guidance – directly to the WA and Commonwealth Governments that has directly influenced the excellent management of the pandemic in this country.

The pandemic interrupted what has been a most successful and dynamic year for the Institute as we commenced implementation of our new Strategic Plan, Up for the Challenge. One of the key findings of the 2018 International Scientific Review was to evolve our research structure to better facilitate and encourage collaboration, mentorship and career support for researchers, and to ensure that our researchers had an even greater say in the direction of the Institute. As a result, our Research Focus Areas have evolved with new program structures and management committees. An Institute Science Team has been formed to directly advise the Leadership Team on research culture and strategy. The number of researchers on the Leadership Team has also been increased.

We launched our first Grand Challenge, as promised, in the area of Aboriginal child health and wellbeing. A five-year, $20 million commitment from BHP will enable an ambitious program of work in partnership with the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector in the Pilbara and Perth. Together we will work one-on-one with up to 1,000 families to develop an unprecedented understanding of the cultural, environmental and policy settings that bring about the best outcomes for kids under five. The project has outstanding Aboriginal leadership in Professor Alex Brown, Professor Juli Coffin and Glenn Pearson, who has also been appointed to the new position of Deputy Director (Aboriginal Health). We have boosted our Kulunga Aboriginal Unit, headed by Cheryl Bridge. The Kulunga team will drive our Aboriginal employment and career development strategy, our engagement and communication with Aboriginal communities, and support high quality research.

Recruiting and retaining great researchers is a strategic priority. We were delighted to welcome spatial epidemiologist Professor Peter Gething to Perth from Oxford as the Kerry M Stokes Chair in Child Health, a collaborative position with Curtin University. Peter leads the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP), an international

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

While the competitive research funding environment remains tight, our research teams continue to outperform the national average on most measures of grant success. In 2019, we were awarded grants totalling $34,780,593, up 24.8% on 2018. This doesn’t include $35 million awarded from the Medical Research Future Fund for Telethon Kids to lead a national consortium to accelerate the development of a Strep A Vaccine that could prevent rheumatic heart disease and other life-threatening conditions caused by this common bacterium.

We were delighted to have Health Minister Greg Hunt officially launch CliniKids, our first clinical service which aims to accelerate research into clinical practice. Led by Professor Andrew Whitehouse, CliniKids offers world-first therapies and interventions, backed by the latest research, for Western Australian babies and children with autism and developmental delay.

The Medical Research Commercialisation Fund’s Biomedical Translation Fund committed up to $20m to Telethon Kids spin-off Respirion Pharmaceuticals. Respirion is developing a novel antibiotic therapy for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.

Our commercialisation team was also behind the launch of the Digital Health Accelerator Program that will build capacity and expertise in digital health entrepreneurs.

In terms of research achievements, our Impact Report outlines success stories of projects that are already being translated into real-life outcomes for kids and families. We encourage you to read this year’s Impact Report, the sixth we have produced, to find out more about how we are making a difference for children, young people, families and communities.

Jonathan Carapetis (Director) & Hon Julie Bishop (Chair)

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

The Institute had a strong financial result for 2019, finishing the financial year with an operating surplus of $5.07 million and achieving an unqualified audit. This outcome reflects the significant focus we continue to have on sound financial management across the Institute. The 2019 outcome was due in part to continuing growth in philanthropy and partnerships, strong investment returns within our Endowment Fund, improvements in grant success, and the impact of sustained operational efficiency. It is pleasing to note that the Institute’s indirect cost rate remains lower than the national average for independent medical research institutes in Australia.

As at 31 December 2019, there was a 7% increase in total assets held on the Institute’s Balance Sheet to $174.4 million, with total equity having increased by 8.9% to nearly $71 million. This is contributing to our longer term strategy of building a financial corpus that will provide a sustainable income source, in order to buffer the Institute against the ups and downs of Australia’s research funding environment. This will be particularly important as we navigate the post-COVID economic environment.

We sincerely thank Deloitte for coming on board in 2019 as the Institute’s new Honorary Auditor and for the excellent work done on this year’s audit. Deloitte’s appointment by the Institute Board follows the conclusion of KPMG’s long-standing tenure as our Honorary Auditor. We greatly appreciate and thank KPMG for their many years of outstanding service.

THINGS TO CELEBRATE

Funded by Lotterywest, the Telethon Kids Discovery Centre was officially opened in June by Premier Mark McGowan. Designed for primary school-aged children, the centre makes science fun through a range of digital interactive activities that demonstrate the connection between research and clinical practice.

The inaugural Governor’s Lecture, hosted by the Hon Kim Beazley, was presented by Nobel Laureate Peter Doherty. His insights into disease transmission, vaccine development and pandemics are even more relevant given recent events.

We launched Embrace, Western Australia’s first research centre devoted to the mental health of children and

young people aged 0-25. Parenting expert Maggie Dent and West Coast Eagles champion Nic Naitanui led a community campaign to show support for young people with mental health issues.

A major focus of the Institute in recent years has been the importance of supporting women in science, which is particularly important given that more than 80% of our staff are women. We were delighted that Telethon Kids received the Bronze Award at the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Athena SWAN Awards. This award recognises the commitment the Institute has made to supporting women, trans and gender diverse individuals in STEMM fields and encouraging equity and diversity across the Institute. A critical part of this process was developing an Action Plan, and we hope in coming years to progress to Silver status, which has not yet been achieved in this country.

We welcomed the passing of the bill to enable the State Government’s Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, which provides much-needed additional support for medical research and innovation in WA.

Professor Catherine Elliott has been appointed Deputy Director (Research). Catherine also holds positions with the Child and Adolescent Health Service and Curtin University. Her appointment follows the decision by Professor Graham Hall to step down to concentrate on his research after four years in the role. Graham served the Institute through a period of great transformation and we acknowledge and thank him for his service.

OUR THANKS

As our Principal Partner, Telethon is core to all that we do. We simply couldn’t do what we do without them. We are thankful for the leadership of its Chair Richard Goyder and all the Trustees, and the enthusiasm and support of the Telethon team led by General Manager Mark McCrory.

Philanthropy is essential to the survival of the Institute. We are indebted to the generosity of many supporters, including corporations, foundations, individuals and families. The Philanthropy report on page 16 acknowledges the many supporters that help us to make a difference.

Our community supports us in so many ways – by informing and participating in our research, fundraising, and advocating for what we do. It’s a partnership that inspires us and grows in strength year by year.

Our Board of Directors volunteer their time and talents for the good governance and strategic leadership of the Institute. We sincerely thank them for sharing their skills, insights, and passion for our mission. The day-today operations of the Institute are managed by highly professional Institute Leadership and Management teams, who ensure the smooth running of the organisation by going above and beyond in so many ways.

We thank the staff and students that are the heart of Telethon Kids. Your work changes the lives of children and families – we thank you for the commitment that you show every day.

Finally, our heartfelt thanks to retiring Chairman John Langoulant, after 14 years at the helm. Under John’s steady leadership, the Institute grew in size, impact and sustainability – and forged the reputation we enjoy today. His legacy is evident, and we are delighted to honour that contribution though the bestowment of Honorary Life Membership of the Institute.

Hon Julie Bishop Chair Jonathan Carapetis AM Executive Director

DIRECTORS BOARD OF

JANE MUIRSMITH

Jane is one of Australia’s leading digital strategists and is Managing Director of Lenox Hill, a digital strategy and solutions advisory company. She is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has an Honours Degree in Commerce. Jane currently serves on the board of Australian Finance Group (AFG) and Cedar Woods Properties (CWP), and is the Chair of HealthDirect Australia and past President of the WA Women’s Advisory Council to the WA Government. Jane joined the Telethon Kids Board in February 2018 and also sits on the Risk and Compliance Committee.

JEFF DOWLING

HON JULIE BISHOP (CHAIR FROM AUGUST 2019)

Julie joined the Board as Chair in August 2019. The Former Australian Foreign Affairs Minister is the Chancellor of the Australian National University, Chair of the Princes’ Trust Australia, Director of The Palladium Group, Member of the International Advisory Boards of Afiniti and Greensill Capital, and a Member of the International Advisory Board of the Human Vaccines Project and the World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Advisory Board. She chairs the Institute’s Remuneration and Nomination Committee, and Development Committee.

JOHN LANGOULANT AO (CHAIR TO AUGUST 2019)

John became Chair of the Telethon Kids Institute in 2008 following his appointment to the Board in 2005. A respected business leader, John holds a number of board positions including Chair, Government Employees’ Superannuation Board; Chair, Dampier to Bunbury Pipeline; Chair WA, Westpac Bank Group; Chair, Pawsey Supercomputing Centre; Chair, Rottnest Island Authority; and President, CEDA in WA.

Jeff joined the Telethon Kids Board in 2009, bringing significant financial expertise as Former Managing Partner of Ernst & Young Western Region. Jeff is a member of the Institute’s Finance Committee. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and the Financial Services Institute of Australasia. His current board appointments include S2 Resources, Battery Minerals Ltd, NRW Holdings Ltd and Fleetwood Corporation Ltd.

JOZEF GÉCZ

Jozef joined the Board of Telethon Kids in 2016 and is a member of the Institute’s Risk and Compliance Committee. Jozef is an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow, Chair of Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation for the Prevention of Childhood Disability and Professor of Human Genetics at the Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide. He established the Neurogenetics Research Program at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Jozef was awarded the 2019 South Australian Scientist of the Year.

MICHAEL McANEARNEY

ALEX BROWN (TO DECEMBER 2019)

Alex is an Aboriginal medical doctor and researcher with an extensive and unique research program focused on chronic disease in vulnerable communities, with a particular focus on outlining and overcoming health disparities. Alex is the Leader of the Aboriginal Research Unit at SAHMRI and Research Chair of Aboriginal Health at the University of South Australia. He was recently admitted to the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and joined the Telethon Kids Institute Board in 2016.

JONATHAN CARAPETIS AM

Jonathan took up the position of Executive Director and Board Member of the Telethon Kids Institute in July 2012. A leading paediatrician and infectious diseases specialist, Jonathan is recognised as a leading mind in the Australian health field, with particular expertise in Indigenous child health. He is a member of the One Disease at a Time Foundation Board, President of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes, Member of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association, the Forrest Foundation Selection Committee (The University of Western Australia), Editorial Board Member, Heart Asia (British Medical Journal), NHMRC Australia Council and RHDAustralia Advisory Committee (ARC).

FIONA DRUMMOND

Fiona joined the Telethon Kids Institute Board in November 2017 and Chairs the Finance Committee. She is the Ernst & Young Managing Partner Western Region and Assurance Partner, a Fellow of the Leadership WA Program, a Fellow of Chartered Accountants in Australia & New Zealand (CA ANZ), a Fellow of FINSIA and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Fiona has previously been on the Board of United Way WA.

Michael is Director, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Gerard Daniels Australia and Director of Gerard Daniels UK Ltd and USA Inc. Michael joined the Board of Telethon Kids in 2012 and is also a member of the Institute’s Remuneration and Nomination Committee and Development Committee. Michael is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Institute of Directors UK.

NICOLE O’CONNOR

Nicole joined the Telethon Kids Board in 2016 and is Chair of the Risk and Compliance Committee and also a member of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee. Nicole is Director of Research Services and Systems at Curtin University and previously was the General Manager Western Australia of SAP. Nicole is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

ROHAN WILLIAMS

Rohan joined the Telethon Kids Board in 2013 and is former Chair of the Institute’s Development Committee. Rohan was Executive Chairman, CEO and Founder of Dacian Gold Ltd and the founding CEO, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Avoca Resources Ltd prior to a merger in 2011 to form Alacer Gold Corp, where he was a Non-Executive Director until September 2013. Rohan has worked extensively in the resources sector including with WMC Resources Limited, where he held Chief Geologist positions at St Ives Gold Mines and the Norseman Gold Operation.

HIGHLIGHTS 2019 10

BHP announced a $20 million commitment over five years to fund a world-first research partnership with Aboriginal families in the Pilbara and Perth. The research partnership will be led by the Institute in close collaboration with the Aboriginal community controlled health sector to work one-on-one with up to 1,000 families to develop an unprecedented understanding of the cultural, environmental and policy settings that bring about the best outcomes for kids under five.

We were proud to partner with Curtin University and L’Oreal Australia to co-host the first Girls in Science Forum. This event gave students rare access to some of Australia’s finest female scientists, including Associate Professor Asha Bowen from Telethon Kids.

Leading infectious diseases researcher, Clinical Associate Professor Deborah Lehmann

The Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation announced it will provide $1.05 million to support the Telethon Kids Cancer Centre’s vital research aimed at improving survival rates, longevity and quality of life for children with cancer.

We launched Embrace - our comprehensive research centre focused on mental health from birth to 25 years. Embrace brings together researchers, clinicians, service providers and the community in a collaborative effort to find new strategies and tools to address alarming rates of mental health issues in children and young people.

We lodged our submission to the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Athena SWAN Awards and in February 2020, we were awarded a Bronze Award for our commitment to supporting women, trans and gender diverse individuals in STEMM fields and encouraging equity and diversity across the Institute.

Telethon Kids Institute researchers were awarded nearly $8.5 million from the National Health and Medical Research Council to investigate the impact of screens on children’s health, the impact of disability on families, improve penicillin to prevent rheumatic heart disease, and reduce lung disease in kids with cystic fibrosis.

Telethon Kids was delighted to have Australian Nobel Laureate and former Australian of the Year Professor Peter C Doherty AC, deliver The Governor’s Lecture. Professor Doherty’s pioneering work in the 1970’s shed light on the way the immune system recognises and protects the body against virusinfected cells – work which has paved the way for a new generation of treatments for cancer, infectious diseases, and other critical health problems.

AO, was a finalist for an Australian Museum Eureka Prizes in the Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers category, for her work training and mentoring a new generation of researchers.

Telethon Kids researchers discovered ‘nicotinefree’ e-juice samples contained nicotine as well as an acutely toxic chemical typically found in pesticides and disinfectants.

Researchers at Telethon Kids created a new computer algorithm to help pinpoint the mutations responsible for rare diseases, improving our ability to provide confident diagnoses for children and families.

We launched our Strategic Plan 2019-2023: Up for the Challenge, which sets out the blueprint for how we will work for the next five years to achieve our vision of happy healthy kids. Our work will be focused on our four strategic pillars – impact, partnerships, people and sustainability – and our values of courage, collaboration, evidence and respect will underpin all that we do.

Institute researcher Sharynne Hamilton was named the inaugural Shell Aboriginal STEM Student of the Year at the 2019 Premier’s Science Awards. On the same night, her PhD supervisor, founding Telethon Kids researcher Professor Carol Bower, was inducted into the WA Science Hall of Fame and colleague Hayley Passmore was a finalist in the Student of the Year category.

Australian-first app that will help parents keep their children cyber-safe.

Professor Jonathan Carapetis and the Hon Julie Bishop

Former Australian Foreign Affairs Minister The Hon Julie Bishop was announced as our new Chair.

Professor Jonathan Carapetis with Athena SWAN project leads Professor Deborah Strickland and Ben Andrews

Hayley Passmore, Professor Carol Bower and Sharynne Hamilton at the 2019 Premier’s Science Awards.

Once again, the Telethon weekend was a huge success with the annual event raising more than $42 million dollars to support the kids of WA. We were thrilled to be part of the weekend of activities including hosting the Channel 7 Sunrise crew and being part of the Beneficiary Expo.

Autism researchers from the Institute, led by Dr Gail Alvares, called for the term ‘high functioning autism’ to be abandoned because of the misleading and potentially harmful expectations it creates around the abilities of children on the autism spectrum.

A world-first Perth study showed that two puffs of an over-the-counter asthma medication before surgery can reduce respiratory complications during and after tonsillectomy surgery in children. The project was a collaboration between Perth Children’s Hospital, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, The University of Western Australia, and Curtin University.

A Healthway grant will allow local researchers in the Kimberley to be employed alongside the Telethon Kids SToP Trial team to enhance local skin health activities and develop culturally appropriate prevention programs tailored to their own communities. Run in partnership with the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services, WA Country Health Services-Kimberley and Nirrumbuk Environmental Health Services, the SToP Trial is designed to “See, Treat and Prevent” skin infections and reduce the high rate of skin sores and scabies in remote Aboriginal communities.

Telethon Kids Institute Chair Hon Julie Bishop joined the international Human Vaccines Project’s Board of Directors on its mission to address the next frontier of human health – decoding the human immune system to transform how we prevent, diagnose and treat disease.

The Institute’s Dr Sally Brinkman was recognised with a national Research Excellence Award from the National Health and Medical Research Council for being the nation’s top ranked applicant in the Population Health (Level 1 category) of the 2018 Career Development Fellowship scheme.

Premier Mark McGowan officially opened the Institute’s Discovery Centre. The Centre, located on the ground floor of the Perth Children’s Hospital, is full of digital science-related games designed to educate and entertain kids.

Our Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases appointed two new Co-directors – Dr Lea-Ann Kirkham and Dr Chris Blyth.

Telethon Kids received a $35 million grant over three years to work with researchers from around the world to develop a vaccine to prevent rheumatic heart disease and other life-threatening conditions caused by the common Strep A bacteria.

CliniKids was officially launched by Federal Health Minister, The Hon Greg Hunt MP. CliniKids is the first stand-alone clinical service to be offered by Telethon Kids. WA babies and children with autism and developmental delay will be able to access world-first therapies and interventions backed by the latest research.

Telethon Kids researchers were awarded more than $9 million in National Health and Medical Research Council funding towards child health research including rheumatic heart disease, respiratory infections, and autism spectrum disorder.

Outstanding Aboriginal researcher Dr Jessica Buck was awarded a prestigious Forrest Foundation Research Fellowship to investigate innovative new therapies for children with brain cancer.

Institute Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis was appointed President of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI). This prestigious appointment was a strong vindication of his strategic leadership skills, collaborative attitude, and innovative thinking methods.

Professor Peter Gething was appointed the inaugural Kerry M Stokes Chair of Child Health, following an extensive international search led by Curtin University and Telethon Kids. Professor Gething joined the Institute from The Big Data Institute at the University of Oxford.

Telethon Kids and Curtin University received funding for the OPTIMUM study to investigate whether a whooping cough vaccine could provide bonus protection against food allergies

Telethon Kids and Perth Children’s Hospital clinicianresearchers found more than one in 10 children across four remote Kimberley communities have protracted bacterial bronchitis, a condition that can lead to progressive, irreversible, and life-shortening lung disease.

Scientists from our Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases worked with an international team of researchers to pioneer a technique which gives unprecedented insight into the dramatic changes occurring in a baby’s body in the first weeks of life.

Associate Professor Asha Bowen, Dr Chris Brennan-Jones and Dr Joost Lesterhuis were named amongst WA’s most outstanding young scientists, receiving Young Tall Poppy Science Awards from the Australian Institute of Policy and Science.

We released a new community care worker flipchart which was developed by Telethon Kids researchers in collaboration with Aboriginal communities and a local Aboriginal Medical Service in the Pilbara.

Telethon Kids Institute and Perth Children’s Hospital began an international clinical trial, called the SJ-ELIOT trial, of a novel drug combination they hope will increase cure rates for one of the most aggressive forms of childhood brain cancer, medulloblastoma. The trial will run in Australia and the United States.

Our Autism Research Team found that babies who received a behavioural intervention, which helps parents better identify and respond to their baby’s communication cues, were able to say and understand significantly more words than a control group when followed up six months later.

Photo by Jack Allen

The Hon Julie Bishop and Professor Tobias Kollmann

14

INTRODUCING OUR

IMPACT REPORT

At Telethon Kids, impact is one of our strategic pillars.

We will make a measurable difference through our commitment to:

• Research excellence and innovation

• Ensuring research is useful and used

• Closing the gap for Aboriginal kids.

Our annual IMPACT Report showcases the many ways our research is directly and indirectly improving the lives of children and young people, whether by influencing policy and practice, improving the global understanding of disease, collaborating locally, nationally, and internationally, or building capacity within communities to help them prevent disease or tackle it head on.

You can request a printed copy of our IMPACT Report by emailing us at contact@telethonkids.org.au

Or download it now at telethonkids.org.au

TRANSLATION

This research has been actively translated into policy or practice

Landmark flu decision set to save kids’ lives

Low rates of flu vaccination in babies and children are expected to lift this year thanks to a landmark decision prompted by years of collaborative research between our Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases and colleagues around Australia.

IN THE PIPELINE

This research is in the pipeline towards translation

Lightening the leukaemia load for kids with Down syndrome

PARADIGM SHIFT

This research changes the very way we think

Not just a cough: Wet cough research prompts significant change in clinical and community practice

Results from a world first-study measuring prevalence of chronic wet cough and protracted bacterial bronchitis in four Kimberley Aboriginal communities have highlighted the enormity of the health problem – leading to a change in the way clinicians and families treat this issue.

One of the lesser-known health problems faced by kids born with Down syndrome is their increased risk of childhood leukaemia. They also have a harder time fighting it – responding poorly to treatments, experiencing worse side effects, and relapsing more often. Telethon Kids cancer researcher Dr Sébastien Malinge has developed the world’s first Down syndrome cell line, enabling him to test novel therapies to help find better treatments with fewer side effects.

COLLABORATING FOR IMPACT

This research shows how we work with others to make a difference

The Raine Study: three decades of life-changing research

Between 1989 and 1991, almost 3,000 WA babies were recruited to the Raine Study – an ambitious research project which would yield a series of paradigm-shifting findings around pregnancy, early childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Three decades on, the Raine Study has not only changed scientific thinking – it has changed the lives of those taking part.

To all our donors at Telethon Kids –

PHILANTHROPIC SPECTRUM

Our community of donors come in all sorts of shapes and sizes – individuals and families, foundations, corporates and community groups. All share a deep commitment to helping the Telethon Kids Institute improve the health and development of children.

We appreciate their support very much and simply could not do what we do without it.

Throughout these pages, in our Impact Report and every day on our website and through social media you will find examples of research that often started through a simple gesture – an act of philanthropy. Through philanthropy, every day in so many ways our dedicated and passionate donors help us keep making a difference to the lives of our children.

Some donors organise a community fundraiser to support Telethon Kids. Other donors provide seed funding to enable our researchers to develop projects to the point where they can apply for significant support from competitive grants. Then there are donors who support our researchers through scholarships, or help build a research platform, or provide significant multi-year funding for research that will ultimately change the lives of thousands of children and families. Philanthropic support, in all these forms, is a game changer, enabling world-class research driven by scientists who are experts in their field from across the globe to work here, in Western Australia.

Our donors walk hand-in-hand with our researchers and are interested and engaged in what we do, driving our researchers to keep asking questions, and to keep finding answers to infectious diseases, childhood cancer, youth mental illness and suicide prevention, autism, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, asthma, early childhood development, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), and other urgent health issues affecting children and their families.

Whether you are an employee of one of our funding partners such as at BHP or Wesfarmers, part of one the many wonderful foundations such as Minderoo

or the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, or you made a personal donation or took part in a fun run that is raising funds for Telethon Kids, you have made a difference and we thank you and applaud you for being a part of the Telethon Kids story. A special thank you to Telethon and the many people who contribute to Telethon every year – Telethon Trustees, our very special Telethon ambassadors, artists and special guests, staff, audiences and the thousands of West Australians who make a donation. It takes a heart as big as the community of WA to make Telethon what it is each year.

Now, more than ever, your support is vital and in 2019, 1,320 donors gave an extraordinary $25,529,955 to children’s research at Telethon Kids Institute. That is extraordinary and here you are:

Principal Partner

Channel 7 Telethon

Corporate

Abacus Rent It

ADAPT by Design

Australian Hotels Association Western Australia

Bankwest

BHP

BHP South Flank

BioTools

BNI Bamboo

Bupa Australia

Burn Bright

Business Events

Perth

Buurabalayji Thalanyji Aboriginal Corporation

CBH Group

Centurion Transport Co

CFC Group

Coherent Scientific

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm

DR Capital

Elec Power Technologies

Entertainment Publications of Australia

Eppendorf

Eternal Frame Photography

Fluor

Futureflip

Gambosch Consulting

GlaxoSmithKline Australia

Grill’d Subiaco

Hawaiian

Herbert Smith Freehills

Jacked Up 4x4 Servicing

KPMG

Laptek Systems

Maia Financial, Western Australia

Merck

Metro Motorcyle Training

Mineral Resources Limited

Northern Star Resources Limited

Payne Haulage

Pfizer Australia

Pilbara Motor Group

Primewest

Propertyspace

Range of Motion

Raspa Property Group

Sanofi-Aventis Australia

Scope Interiors

Seqirus Australia

Splunk

SRG Group

Supervision Group

Tianqui Lithium Australia

Total Worx Gym

Vassallo Corporation

Wesfarmers Limited

Woodside Energy Anonymous (5)

Foundations and Not for Profit

Asthma Foundation of WA

A F M Adams Charitable Trust

Albion Swim Club

Brady Cancer Support Foundation

Bupa Health Foundation

Carcione Foundation

Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation

Mundaring Combined Hard Courts Association

Packer Family Foundation

Education, Health and Government

Awaken Chiropractic

Curtin University School of Management

Goodstart Early Learning

Individuals

A & B Watson Estate

Kylie Abbey

Ash Aberle

Amal Abtiyow

Phillip Adamson

Lesley Black

Gracie Blackburn

Danielle Blain

Kristen Bleby

Raven Bonnar-Pizzorno

Samantha Bothroyd

Paul Ramsay Foundation Perpetual Foundation

Perpetual Philanthropic Services

Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation

Goodstart Early Learning

Canning Vale

Goodstart Early Learning

Dunsborough

Goodstart Early Learning East

Bunbury

Goodstart Early Learning East

Perth

Goodstart Early Learning

Kingsley

Goodstart Early Learning

Meadow Springs

Bahareh Afsharnejad

Ailsa Allen

Ashlea Allen

Kelly Allison

Helmut Ammermann

Azzrah Anderson

Lauren Anderson

Dan Andrew

Ben Andrews

Wei Ang

Aresh Anwar

Andrew Bowman-Bright

Malcolm Boyd

Gary Brabham

Danny Brakels

Robert Branchi

Chris Brauman

Owen Bray

Denise Bresser

Lynda Brewer

Julie Bridge

Sian Briggs

Conquer Cystic Fibrosis

Crown Resorts Foundation

Pirate Ship Foundation

Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research Foundation

Robert Connor Dawes Foundation

Rotary Club of Hillarys

Rotary Club of Scarborough

Rotary Club of Wanneroo

Goodstart Early Learning Success

Hampton Senior High School

John Curtin College of the

Arts

MercyCare Early Learning

Centre Bennett Springs

Mother Teresa Catholic College

Dario Arcella

Colleen Archibald

Nicole Arms

Penny Armstrong

Kale and Dek Armstrong

Graham Arndt

Adrian Ayre

Selena Azzopardi

Jolene Brittain

Lady Jean Brodie-Hall

Leslie Bromell

Graham Brookmire

Elissa Brown

Adam Brown

Katrina Brown

Genevieve Brownhill

Cure Brain Cancer Foundation

Cystic Fibrosis Western Australia

Dalkeith Nedlands Probus Club

Ernest & Piroska Major Foundation

Feilman Foundation

Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation

Giorgetta Charity Fund

Grow Greenbushes

Ian Potter Foundation

Jam and Jelly Foundation

King and McMillan Foundation

Lions District D201W1 Western Australia

Mandurah Family Relationship Centre

Margaret Dawbarn Foundation

Mary MacKillop Today

McClements Foundation

McCusker Charitable Foundation

Rothwell Family Foundation

Rowley Foundation

Save Our Sons Duchenne Foundation

Simon Lee Foundation

St Barnabas Circle Dancers

Kalamunda

Stan Perron Charitable Foundation

PathWest

Small Business Development Corporation

South Perth Primary School

St John of God, Murdoch Hospital

Telethon Kids UWA

Tuart Forest Primary School

Walpole Primary School

Anonymous (2)

Sidney Bailey

Roy and Jennifer Bailey

Amy Baker

Toni and Joanne Baker

Daryl Baker

Jacqui Baker

Sara Ballard

Jason Barnes

Glenn Barrett

Elaine Bartels

Christine Barten

Susan Bryant

David Budge

Sharifa Burah

Sahani Burah

Kimbra Burn

Victoria Bushell

Barry Buss

Raelene Butler

Thomas Caldwell Smith Estate

Tony Campbell

Starlight Children’s Foundation

The Brain Tumour Charity

The Cure Starts Now

The Kids’ Cancer Project

The UK Online Giving Foundation

Tour de Cure

True North Church Mullaloo

Twin Suns Charities

Whitford Catholic Dance Crew

William G Maxwell Trust

Yinhawangka People’s Charitable Trust

Wesley Quarter

Westside Fire Services

Wild Hop Brewing Company

Winc Australia

Windsor Knight

Minderoo Foundation

Anonymous (2)

Marie and Dean Bartlett

WH and BH Bartley

Susan Bath

Francisco Bautista

Amber Beacham

Andrew Beech

Louise Bell

Fiona Bellazzini-Eiszele

Cathy Benato

Nathan Bennett and Yael Perry

Sharon Bingham

Rick Birch

Andrew Birch

Debbie Bird

Andy Black

Jonathan Carapetis and Sue Skull

Vonda Cardy

Pam Carlsson

Peter Carrick

Tamara Castelli

Eugene Cha

Young Chae

Shannon Chalker

Kate Chaney

Shalaka Chavan

Elizabeth Chester

Alan Ch’ng

George Church Estate

Maria Clapsis

Claire Clark

CHILDREN’S Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation (Inc.)

Justine Clarke

Paul Clarke

Natasha Clarke

Moira Clay and Paul Harris

Teresa Clementini

Emma Clothier

Jan and Joe Clynk

Tracey Coatsworth

Matt Cobham

Holly Cocking

Juli Coffin

Ben Collins

Sarah Cook

Helen Cook

Sandy Costanzo

Tracey Cousins

Kempton Cowan

Megan Cramp

Jane Crane

Gemma Crawford

Isabelle Critchell

Donna Cross

Mark Cruickshank

Paula Cunningham

John Cutajar

Darryl Cuzzubbo

Natalie Dalgleish

Jacqui Darley

Rebecca Davern

Lesley and Peter Davies

Shannon and Christie-Lee Davies

Brian and Melinda Davies

Doug Davis

Len Daw

Kerri Dawsom

Leah Dawson

Aaron Day

Trevor and Jeanette

De Landgrafft

Wayne Deadman

Chris Dean

Amir Delic

Alisia DeLorenzo

Narelle DeMarte

Maggie Dent

Casey Denton

Sunita Devi and Ravi Poonia

Tiaana Di Cicco

Shirley D’Olieslagers

Marianne Dravnieks and Brad Snell

John Dravnieks

Hannah Dreaver

Kasia Dudney

Gavin Duffy

Andrew Duncum

Wendy and Graeme Dunn

Brendon Durrant

Bev East

Natalie Eastwell

Greg Sydney-Smith

Robert Eckenrode

Jake Edwards

Edwin and Amy Benness Endowment

Jemie Effendy

Pamela Eldred

Carol and Mick Elias

Chris and Tia Ellison

Julia Emmerson

Raelene Endersby

Alicia Esslemont

Andy Euphemie

Peter Faith

Faka Family

Ukweyinde and Akioja Faka

Erica Fay

Trista Federici

Regula Fehr

Ruzario and Anita Fernandes

Inger Ferntorp

Verusha Ferreira

Emma Finau

Elizabeth Finkel

Ann Finlay

Amy Finlay-Jones

Raleigh and Matilda Finlayson

Katie Fisher

Rod Fitzgerald

Sue Fletcher

Laura Florez

Tess and Darryn Foote

Shaun and Ava Ford

Neville Ford

Todd Ford

Foti Family

Marilyn and Bob Fowler

Isla Foy

Chris Frame

Sharyn Francis

Des and Barbara Franklin

Brett Franklin

Alex Freemantle

Tracy Frigault

Katrina Frost

Xavier Fugill

Sammi Gabbay

Elle Gallagher

Denise Galvin

Richard Gannon

Jon Gardiner

Victoria Gardiner

Troy Gardner

Aiden Gardner

Julie Gardner

Emmah Gardner

Shannon Gauder

Karan and Bayley George

Sarah Geraghty

Rommel Geronimo

Martin Gething

Tammy Gibbs

June Giles

Nicole Gill

Emma Gillespie

Rebecca Gillmore

Marie Ginbey

Sharon Giorgetta

Sherif Girgis

Kerry Glenister

Kevin Goadsby

Lisa and Shane Gobbee

Lauren Godfrey

Michael Golden

Beth Golden

Dorothy Goldspink

Megan Gonzalez

Alex Gonzalez

Girard Good

Laurence Goodacre

Bonnie Goodridge

Jan Gootjes

Stuart Gordon

Shelley Gorman

Richard and Janine Goyder

Harrison Grant

Ralph Green

Joyce Griffiths

Jen Grove and Charlotte Gishubl

Mary Ellen Guardi

Christine Gubb

Jamelia Gubgub and David Wallace

Mark Gummer

Scott and Dionee Gummery

Farzad Habibbeygi

Sarah Hagan

Louise and Isla Hagboom

Graham Hall

Sarah Hall

Dwayne Hall

Linden Hall

Jason Hall

Robert Hand

David Hanlin

Kate Harford

Billie Haskard

Belinda Hati

Megan Hati

Linda and Mons Haug

Jen Haviland

Malcolm Hawks

Brooke Hay

Lorraine Hay

Marissa Hayes

Kate Hayes

Michael Head

Kristy Heatly

Mark and Jemma Hector

Eric Heenan

Tatjana Heinrich

Alex Helme

Debbie Hemsley-Kidger

Tony Henry

Graeme and Lynette Hickmott

Sarah Hill

Karen and Steve Hinchcliffe

Murray and Sylvia Hindle

Elise Hinkley

Mike Hobley

Fiona Hodgson

Amy Hoggarth

Daniel Horan

Errol Howard

Michael Hudson

Declan Hughes

Ee-Lyn Hulleza

Kevin Hume

Margaret Hume

Rod Hunt

Tom Hunter

Tamara Hunter

Erin Hurson and Henry Whitehead

Elizabeth Hurst

Tran Huynh

Laurence Iffla

Bob Ingham

Mary-Lee Ingleton

Donna Inglis

Rebecca and Ashton Ireland

Maryan Ismail

Andrew Israel

Pamela Jackson

John Jacky

Helena and Michael James

Gavin and Amity James

Jane James

Nicole Jameson

Sarra Jamieson

Stuart Jeffery

Gemma Jenkins

Family Jenour

Kenneth and Chris Johnson

Margaret Johnson

Aaron Johnson

Jennifer Jones

Lynda Jones

Sienna Jones

Melody Jones

Teegan Jones

Peta Jones

Bethan Jones

Natalie Jones

Jeffrey Jones

Peter Jorgensen

Ajay Joshi

Carly and Willow Kaehler

Kakulas Family

Kimberleigh Kamstra

Nadzirah Karim

Nurul Karim

Megan Keep

Casey Keirle

Jessica Kendrick

Nicolina Keremestevski

Ashleigh Ketteringham

Michael King

Heddy King

Bindi-ann King

Tammie Kirk

Brad Kleinschmidt

Stephen Kobelke

Mark Kobulniczky

Catherine Kolomyjec

Shelley Kukura

Quyen La

Francine and Graeme Lacy

John Langoulant

Alexander Larcombe

Elle Lawrance

Lee Lawson

Kristy Le May

Amanda Le Moine

Michael Lea

Callie Learmonth

James Lee

Eunice Lee

James Lewin

Amanda Lewis

Pamela Li

Rebekah Light

Simon Lim

Delma Lim

Ashleigh Lin

Meeka and Matt Liveris

Clair Logan

Lawrie and Carmel Logan

Nick Logan

Nelson Loh and Tee Ching Hun

Francis J Longhurst Estate

Jan and David Lord

Tania Lourensz

Martin Lowell

Ben Lowther and Morgyn Dreaver

Angela Lowther

Ludlow Family

Larry Ludlow

Matilda Lugonja

Susan Lutey

Azadeh Mackenzie

Barbara Macnish

Marion Macnish

Lisa Magill

Alan Mahon

Elizabeth Mair

Tom Maitland

Adele Maitre

Joan Malcolm

Miles Malcolm

Astral Mansfield

Heidi Marhin

John Mariani

Brent Markwell

David Martino

Nat Mawby

David McAlister

Michael and Mary McCall

Joanne McCamish

Marion McDermid

Scott McDougall

Dave McFayden

Craig McGarrigle

Sarah McGarry

Jackie McGuffie

Tim and Carolyn McInnis

Robyn McIntosh

Laurel McKinley

Alana McKinley

Dot McKinley

Natalie McKinley

Tara McLaren

Ann-Teresa McLoughlin

David and Valerie McMahon

Scott McPhee and Cassandra Khoo

Gemma McPhee

Dale McPhee

Dylan McPherson

Alex McVey

Kirsty Meachem

Tracey Meares

Valerie Merema

Siobhan Merlehan

Ben Merrett

Mel Meurer

Kathleen Michalanney

Vesna Milanovic

Michelle Miller

Colin and Karen Mills

Dawn Missen

Jenny Mitchell

Janice Moffat

Marsita Mohd Saad

Hoa Mok

Julie Moore

Orla Moran

Amanda and Lily Morgan

Nicki Morrison

Kara Morrone

Asta Morton

Colleen Moylan

Elizabeth Murray

Kathleen Musca

Ben Musial

Murali Nagarajan

Melinda Nash

Tim Nash

Samantha Nash

Giselle Natassia

Jarrod Nathan

Jonathon Naudi

Ernie Nelson

Katherine Newbon

Thu Nguyen

Thanh Nguyen

Tu-Uyen Nguyen

Paul Nissen

Jodie Nosow

Margaret and Ian Nowak

Pierra O’Brien

Shelly O’Byrne

Nicole O’Connor and Ped Ristic

Katie O’Donnell

Deidre O’Donnell

Prezlee O’Keefe

Melissa O’Neill

James Ong

Stephen Oo

Joyce Oommen

Laura Oorschot

Natasha O’Sullivan

Veronica Otimi

Maurice and Jennifer Owen

Derek Owers

Mia Paganoni

Matt Paget

Averil Paki

John Palermo and Sarah D’Onofrio

Lorraine Palmer

Olinda Papalia

Louella Paramor

Ken and Joan Park

Leeanne Parsons

David and Elizabeth Partridge

David Passmore

Chirag Patel

Pauline Paterson

Carlos Patete

Jessica Patterson

Bernie Pattison

Julie and Gary Payne

Julie Pearce

Glenn Pearson

Anne Pekaar

Tenneal Pene

Kellie Pengelly

Chloe Pereira-Smith

Kynan Perera

Horacio Perez

Marlene Perriman

Shelley Petruzio

John Dewar Phillips Estate

Lizzy Phillips

Claire Philpot

Janessa Pickering

Monika Pietrzykowski

Danielle Pinelli

Michael Plunkett

Liane Pocock

Marija Popovic

Matt Prendergast

Alison Price

Ingrid Puzey

Kathy Q

Susan Quaife

Phil Raffan

Morgan Ralph

Rolly Ralston

Leanne Ranford

Kylie Rapley

Michael Ray

Richard Reading

Martina Rear

Shaun Rees

Lisa Reid

Sinisa Relic

Bert and Andrea Reuter

Melanie Rewell

Tanya Ricciardi

Eryn Richards

Nan and Danny Rickards

Zoe Ridely

Nola Rinaldi

Kate Roberts

Margi Roberts

Sasha Roberts-Smith

Stuart and Christine Robinson

Andrew Robinson

Claire Robson

Jade and Sarah Rodriguez

Carla Rose

Lisa Rossi

Sarah Rossit

Alex Rostami

Donna Rothwell

Ian and Richard Rowe

Jess Rowe

Barbara Rowe

Brett Rowley

Katie Russell

Leigh Rutherford

Sabrina Sabourne

Mirella and Krys Sadkowsky

Shayna Sadler

Peter Safer Estate

Casey Salmon

Fairuz Samsudin

Norma Samuel

Nicole Sanders

Kerry Sanderson

Lukman Sasmita

Carol Saunders

Jess Saunders

Daniel Sauzier

Kelly Savage

Wendy Saw

Narda Schneider

Leanne Schofield

Kathleen Schon-Hegrad

Nikki Schultz

Jane and Col Schutz

Liesbet Schwertfeger

Steve Scudamore and Anne Last

Jackie Scurlock

Fred Seaman

Diana Sedgwick

Rasbir Sekhon

Stanley Sequeira

Jaxon and Austin Sewell

Robert Shack

Jules Shakira

Sourabh Shakti

Gary Shannon

Nathan Sharma

Kerri Sharman

Robin Sharp

Therese Shaw

Lorna Shirra

Kellie Shirra

Simone Sieczka

Tracey Simpson

Danial Smart

Sally Smith

Mick Smith

Grant Smith

Mitchell Sobieralski

Lynne Sobieralski

Toy Sparrow

Tarryn Stain

Fiona Stanley

Barbara Stanley

Karen Steffen

Nick and Freddie Steinsvaag

Kieran Sterrett

Robyn and Gregory Sterrett

John Stevens

Anna Stibbs

Stephen Stick

Margy Still

Tamlyn Stone

Anthony Stroud

Carl Stuart

Maree Stuart

Leah Stupar

Berti Sullivan

Greg Tait

Robyn Tamke

Marcus and Sylvia Tan

Cassandra Tana

Zac Tana

Daniel Taylor

Bryan and Suzy Taylor

Nadine Terblanche

Barb Terrell

Phoebe Tetlow

Ian Thomas

Jordan and Abby Timmcke

Mary-Louise and Luke Toki

Kwan Tong

Linden Torpy

Vanessa Torres

Anthony Torresan

Bill and Belinda Townsend

Susan and Ian Trahar

Gillian Trahorsch

Lee-Ann Trevethan

Chelsea Trifonidis

Wendy Trott

Kellie Tsangoulas

Connor and Sione Tupou

Christie Turley

Stephanie Turner

Sarah Twigger

Kristy Tyrrell

Linda Tyrrell

Dale Tyrrell

Gemma Upson

Mahalia and Harrison Upton

Robert Van der Laan

Stacey VandenBergh

Daniela Varone

Biljana Vejnovic

Robert Vigolo

Rena Vithiatharan

Dina Volaric

Preslava Vouteva

Eldin Vucelj

Fatma Vucelj

Lulu W

Kirsten Waldon

Wendy Wales

Ashley Walker

Andrew Walker

Caroline Wallace

Liz Waller

John Robin Warren

Kylie Watson

Paul Watt

Andrew Watt

Leon and Kay Watt

Nicole Weir

Alwyn William Werrell Estate

Donna Westworth

Sharon Wheeler

Valerie White

Vanessa White

Kirsty Whiteaker

Carol Whitehouse

Emma Whitehurst

Steph Whitwell

Emily Wilding

Joern Wilke

Stuart Wilkinson

Lise and Benjamin Williams

Patricia Wilson

Amber Winder

Bill Withers

Lovell Wolman

Margaret Wood

Nick Wood

Margaret and Brendan Wood

Ixchel Wood

Brad Wood

Cherie Woolhead

Cameron Worth

Paula Wyeth

Vivian Yeap

Jack Zahra

Aleisha Zappia Anonymous (175)

TOTAL INCOME $90,230,398

TOTAL EXPENSES $85,160,880

Northern Entrance, Perth Children’s Hospital, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands WA 6009 PO Box 855, West Perth Western Australia 6872

T | 08 6319 1000

E | contact@telethonkids.org.au

W | telethonkids.org.au

PRINCIPAL PARTNER