Sydney Biomedical Accelerator

The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator is a visionary partnership between the University of Sydney, Sydney Local Health District and the NSW Government. It brings together clinicians, researchers, academics and industry to solve some of the world's most complex health challenges including cancer, vision, cardiac and neurodegenerative diseases.

Explore the SBA website

Find out more about collaborating with the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator.

A visionary partnership

The co-funded partnership will bring a new 36,000-square-metre health, education and research complex to life in 2028. The SBA complex will span the University of Sydney’s Camperdown Campus and the District’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital campus. Ideally placed within the Camperdown node of Tech Central and perfectly timed with the $940 million redevelopment of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, the SBA will transform research and clinical capabilities in New South Wales.

University of Sydney researchers and PhD students, clinical researchers from Sydney Local Health District and industry will be co-located at the SBA.

$478M investment by the University of Sydney, our largest-ever capital investment

$150M investment from the Sydney Local Health District and NSW Government

36,000m2 biomedical research complex in Camperdown, NSW

An existing University of Sydney core research facility

Research facilities

The SBA will support ground-breaking research and innovation, fast-tracking scientific discovery and revolutionise the science of healthcare. To support our vision, the SBA will include:

Wet laboratory spaces for researchers and industry
Prototyping core research facility for development of medical devices and implants
Modernised and consolidated biobank 
Good manufacturing practice cleanrooms 
High-performance computing and bioinformatics
Leading edge omics and bioinformatics for precision medicine
State-of-the-art surgery, mortuary and anatomy research and teaching facility
Core research facilities for cytometry, microscopy, preclinical imaging, omics, organoids, drug discovery, protein production and purification
Clinical trials and patient-facing clinical spaces; 
Collaboration spaces for researchers, clinicians and industry partners, including an innovation and start up hub.

Research themes

The SBA integrates fundamental research at the molecular and cellular level with clinical and patient-centred research and health outcomes. To achieve this vision, the SBA will focus its research on four themes:

programming molecules and cells to cure disease; 
preventing and reversing damage by discovering how to regenerate and repair cells and systems;
learning how molecules and their interactions support and sustain human life;  
engineering devices to sense, monitor, and improve human health;

The goal of each theme is to connect deep, fundamental scientific expertise with clinical practice and thereby accelerate the time from discovery to new therapeutics, devices, drugs, and ultimately better health outcomes for our communities.

Microscopic image of a neuron

Our founding donors

The Susan and Isaac Wakil Foundation’s visionary gift has shaped a critical component of the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator complex, the Isaac Wakil Biomedical Building. Together with the Susan Wakil Health Building, it will harness greater collaboration between health faculties, researchers, and industry to deliver better outcomes to communities across Australia.

As founding donors of the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator, the Medich Foundation have generously established the Medich Biobank Facility, which will enable researchers to translate fundamental scientific knowledge into practical medical applications. This cutting-edge, purpose-built facility will continue to advance genetic studies and identify future drug targets, playing a crucial role in the progression towards personalised medicine.

University of Sydney alumna, the late Dr Marie June Knispel, graduated from the Sydney Medical School in 1951 as one of 20 women in a cohort of over 200 students. As a general practitioner, she dedicated her life and career caring for the health of others. Dr Knispel’s legacy will continue to touch lives through her generous bequest to the University, supporting critical health and medical research within the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator.

This state-of-the-art anatomy training and mortuary facility will be located within the Isaac Wakil Biomedical Building and Sydney Biomedical Accelerator. Established by an anonymous founding donor, it will provide a first-class, technologically advanced teaching and research environment for students, researchers and health professionals, creating an immersive learning experience.

Dr Knispel’s legacy will continue to touch lives through her generous bequest to the University, supporting critical health and medical research within the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator.

Isaac Wakhil standing behind Susan Wakil sitting in a chair

Susan and Isaac Wakil's visionary gift has shaped a critical component of the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator complex.

Related news

Looking towards the future of biomedical research and innovation

Researchers, clinicians, industry, government and philanthropic partners have come together to celebrate the future of biomedical research in Australia at a gala dinner hosted by the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator.