About Us

The National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (NCHECR) was established in 1986 by the Australian Government to fulfil a number of key roles in Australia’s fight against HIV/AIDS.

Located on the campus of St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, the Centre is directly affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of New South Wales, and receives its core funding through the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

NCHECR’s primary functions relate to the coordination of national surveillance programs, clinical research and clinical trials. While its original focus was exclusively on HIV/AIDS, NCHECR’s work has expanded to encompass hepatitis B and C, and sexually transmissible infections. NCHECR also conducts research into the transmission, prevention and natural history of these infections. NCHECR’s research program has increasingly taken on a regional focus, with major collaborative programs in Thailand and Cambodia. Other functions of NCHECR include the training of health professionals, and input into the development and implementation of health policy and programs.

NCHECR carries out its functions by working with an extensive range of collaborators, including State and Territory Health Departments, public and private clinical units, national and international organisations, and the corporate sector including the pharmaceutical industry. It also works closely with the other national HIV research centres. Dissemination of NCHECR’s research output is undertaken through publication in scientific journals and a range of surveillance reports.

The Director is supported in the overall management of the Centre by the Executive Committee. As well as the Director, Executive Committee members are the Deputy Director, the Manager of Finance and Administration and the Head of the Therapeutic and Vaccine Research Program.

The Centre conducts its research through seven scientific Programs:

• Surveillance

• Therapeutic and Vaccine Research

• HIV Epidemiology and Prevention

• Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research

• Viral Hepatitis Epidemiology and Prevention

• Biostatistics and Databases

• Immunovirology and Pathogenesis

The Program Heads, along with the Director, the Deputy Director, the Manager of Finance and Administration and the Business Manager, form the Program Management Committee, which is responsible for the conduct of the Centre’s workplan. Externally, the Centre’s work is overseen by a Scientific Advisory Committee.