Jane Gunn, PCRU
 Since our launch in November 2006 there have been many positive developments. We are delighted to have appointed Dr Meredith Temple-Smith to a Senior Lecturer position within the Unit. Meredith will be responsible for research training of early-mid career researchers and is our new PHCRED Coordinator.
Work has commenced on two new NHMRC funded research projects led by myself and Associate Professor Kelsey Hegarty. Our collaborative research participation continues strongly with involvement in a NHMRC Capacity Building Grant with LaTrobe University and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute; participating as an arm in the Dementia Study led by Professor Dimity Pond at the University of Newcastle as well as being partner investigators in a Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Clinical Science in Diabetes.
Progress continues on a number of NHMRC, APHCRI, AHMAC and beyondblue funded projects in our three main research areas of chronic disease, mental health and young people's health.
We congratulate Drs Marie Pirotta and John Furler on the recent announcement of their success in obtaining a Primary Health Care Research and Development (PHCRED) Mid-Career Fellowship. Both Marie and John undertook their PhD's in the Department of General Practice and we are delighted that their research journey will continue in PCRU. Dr Grant Blashki has commenced his PHCRED Senior Fellowship investigating primary care pathways to psychological care.
Our current FTE academic staff numbers now total 27 FTE and our RHD students 16.
Good progress has been made on the development of VicReN, a Practice Based Research Network. We are fortunate to have the committed involvement of a group of excellent general practitioners. I hope you met some of them when they attended the recent GP & PHC Research Conference in Sydney.
Through the PHCRED initiative, the PCRU will be supporting 12 early career researchers to attend the GP & PHC Research Conference. Many of these researchers will be either presenting a paper or poster at the conference.
 We invite you to attend our PCRU Research Expo to be held on 5 December 2007. The Expo will showcase the current and completed work of PCRU academic researchers and students and we are anticipating the presence of some of our international collaborators. Please mark this date in your diaries.
Professor Jane Gunn
Chair of Primary Care Research
The Department of General Practice
The University of Melbourne
Ph: 03 8344 4530
E: j.gunn@unimelb.edu.au
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