Major donations

The Charles Perkins Centre is turning research and scientific discoveries into solutions that transform lives around the world. Support from the University’s generous donors will help us to ease the global burden of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

We are building a new understanding of these metabolic conditions, so we can improve prevention, treatment and health outcomes in Australia and worldwide.

In honour of Leonard Ullmann

The generosity of our donors has made it possible to appoint several inspiring leaders to chairs. Four chairs in metabolic systems biology, obesity science and psychology have been funded by the donation of Picasso painting, Jeune fille endormie (Vice-Chancellor Michael Spence is pictured at right in front of it), which fetched $19.8 million at Christie’s in London.

The chairs will be named in honour of Leonard Paul Ullmann, who was an award-winning teacher, master clinician, advocate for evidence-based practices in social and behavioural sciences and lover of art.

Australian Diabetes Council

The Australian Diabetes Council (ADC), the peak consumer body for people living with and at risk of diabetes, donated $5 million to establish a chair in diabetes at the Charles Perkins Centre.

The chair will spearhead research leadership and engagement with professional, industry and government bodies in the area of diabetes prevention and treatment.

Francis Henry Loxton

The Francis Henry Loxton bequest has provided annual income to the University for the promotion and study of engineering and science. In the last 20 years more than $3.6 million has been invested in research projects and scholarships in the faculties of Engineering, Agriculture and Environment and Veterinary Science.

The establishment of the Charles Perkins Centre brings new opportunities for faculties to engage in collaborative research projects to combat obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

With funding from the Francis Henry Loxton bequest, the Faculty of Veterinary Science is expanding its support for researchers in the nutrition, obesity, diabetes and the wellbeing of animals, and the nutrients in poultry production and human health.

Janet Dora Hine

Janet Dora Hine, an alumna (BA ‘47) and conferred fellow of the Library Association of Australia, bequeathed her estate to the University of Sydney.

The generous $4 million gift will fund a chair to examine the impact of politics, governance and ethics in the management of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The Judith and David Coffey Life Lab

Judith and David Coffey donated $2 million to establish the Judith and David Coffey Life Lab at the Charles Perkins Centre. The Life Lab creates a new kind of graduate and postgraduate training environment at the interface between life, social, economic and physical sciences. Its focus is to address the significant challenges we face from an unsustainable food system.

The gift will provide scholarships to attract international PhD candidates, and will create two new fellowships. It will also fund annual summer school opportunities for intensive postgraduate training, and launch a distinguished visitor program to bring international research leaders to Sydney. In addition, it will allow an annual graduate symposium to be established, and will provide high performance computing facilities to carry out our valuable research.