About the School
Our teaching and our students
The School has primary responsibility for two programs: the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences and the Master of Pharmacy. The B Biomed Sci has an intake of approximately 100 students per year and is rated by students as one of the University’s most sought after programs. The M Pharm, which began in 2004, has an intake of approximately 75 students per year and was the first graduate-entry training program for pharmacists to be offered in Australia.
The School also provides teaching in the basic medical sciences (Anatomy, Physiology, Immunology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, and Pharmacology) in almost every program delivered by the Faculty of Health, as well as some of the programs offered by the Faculty of Education and Arts and the Faculty of Science and Information Technology. In total, the School teaches into 59 courses taken by almost 1000 full-time equivalent students enrolled in 14 different programs. Students enrolled in programs as diverse as Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Medical Radiation Science, Podiatry, Oral Health and Exercise and Sports Science all come into contact with staff of the School of Biomedical Sciences.
Our research
The School of Biomedical Sciences is one of the University of Newcastle's most research-intensive Schools, currently being ranked number two in terms of external research funding. Our research is organised around four broad themes:
- Infection & Immunity
- Molecular Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacy & Experimental Pharmacology
All research-active School members are also part of the Hunter Medical Research Institute. Many of our staff simultaneously play leading roles in four of the University’s Priority Research Centres:
- The Centre for Brain & Mental Health Research
- The Research Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease
- The Centre for Bioinformatics, Biomarker Discovery & Information-Based Medicine
- The Centre for Reproductive Science
Our people
The School of Biomedical Sciences is one of four Schools in the Faculty of Health and currently comprises 39 full-time equivalent academic, 16 full-time equivalent general staff, and 49 conjoint academic staff. Consistent with our research-intensive profile, the School is also home to approximately 70 research-focused staff (including three professorial research fellows) and 70 research higher degree students.
Our organisational structure
Each of our academic and conjoint staff members contribute to one or more of the School's six teaching Disciplines:
- Anatomy
- Human Physiology
- Immunology & Microbiology
- Medical Biochemistry
- Medical Genetics
- Pharmacy & Pharmacology
Consistent with the cross-disciplinary nature of modern biomedical research, School members are simultaneously organised into four research clusters:
- Infection & Immunity
- Molecular Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacy & Applied Medicines
Recurrent research infrastructure funding awarded to the School is distributed directly to each of these research "clusters", the members of which then collectively decide how the funds can be used to greatest strategic effect.
In addition to a Head of School (currently Prof Trevor Day) there are two Deputy Heads, one taking particular responsibility for development of physical infrastructure (Prof Peter Dunkley) and the other for the professional development of staff and research students (A/Prof Philip Bolton). The School has three main governing committees: an Executive Committee (chaired by the Head of School), a Research Committee (Chaired by Prof Manohar Garg), and an Education Committee (Chaired by A/Prof Robin Callister). The School's general staff are divided into a Teaching Support Unit, which is led by the School Executive Officer (Ms Diane Nesbitt), and a Research Support Unit, led by Ms Paula Jarvie.
Our location
The majority of our staff and research students are based in the Medical Sciences and the Life Sciences Buildings on the University's Callaghan campus. However, we also have a staff based in the David Madison Building in the centre of Newcastle, at the University’s primary teaching hospital (the John Hunter Hospital) and at the Central Coast campus (Ourimbah).
