Professor Clive Palmer will outline his vision for the future of the Griffith Health Institute when he addresses the 2011 Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference tomorrow morning (Thursday).

Professor Clive Palmer (pictured), chair of the Griffith Health Institute Development Board, will highlight why medical research at Griffith University remains an absolute priority at the opening of the seventh Conference.

“Scientific endeavours to tackle health issues affecting not only the Gold Coast but the wider world are crucial and worthy of all the support that comes their way,” he said.

He will describe ongoing Board activities to fund the health and medical research activities at the GHI which is led by Professor Lyn Griffiths, Director of the Griffith Health Institute.

“The Griffith Health Institute has world-renowned researchers undertaking research that is both important and relevant in Australia and overseas,” Professor Griffiths said.

“There is a concerted determination here to make real inroads in the battle against cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease and mental illness, and to ensure no scientific stone is left unturned in our resolve to prevent chronic disease.”

The conference, which will be opened by Griffith University Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Ned Pankhurst, is set to be the biggest to date, with 250 delegates registered to attend over the next two days at Sea World Resort.

Keynote speaker Professor Andre van Wijnen from the University of Massachusetts Medical School will discuss the latest discoveries in bone biology, cancer biology, developmental biology and stem cell biology on Thursday morning.

The wide variety of leading research projects ongoing at the Griffith Health Institute will be showcased through Thursday and Friday, with many scientists presenting key findings from their studies.

The scientific program for this year’s conference has been designed around the theme of “innovative research and practice” and will explore health care and health research from a wide and varied range of angles.

Among the subjects to be discussed will be heart disease research, psychological adjustment to preterm birth, suicide among people reported as missing, sexual abuse of men during childhood, nursing handover practices and the very latest in biomedical and musculoskeletal research.

The numerous GHI research projects focused on the treatment of cancer will also be spotlighted.