The Microbiome Research Centre (MRC) is based at St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Australia, and provides a unique interface between clinical care and medical researchers.  

The MRC collaborates with Universities, Hospitals, and Medical Research Institutes acround Australia and across the world.

Our goals are simple. 

1. Provide evidence to demonstrate the role of the microbiome in diseases and

2. Provide scientifically sound evidence to demonstrate how the microbiome can be altered to support health and elevate diease

3. Provide up to date evidence based guidance about using the microbiome for health for our community, both clinicians and members of the public.

4. Provide training for our next generation of researchers and doctors based on this evidence. 

How you can help – join a research study!

We cannot carry out our work without your help. Our clinical studies require participants, both healthy and who are currently experiencing disease.  Some studies are observational – so we would require a small sample from you, usually stool, blood or urine, Some studies are interventional, that means we might need you to take a supplement, drug or even a stool transplant!

For all our studies we ask that you read the information about the study (see below) and decide if it might be right for you.  After that reach out to the researcher listed and have a chat about the study, what it means for you to take part and have all your questions answered.

Before you join a study, the researcher will ask you to read a participant information and consent form (sometimes called a PICF or PISCF).  This document outlines everything you will be asked to do, what samples you will have to provide and when, and what, if any medications or therapies you might be asked to try. 

Other ways to help

Not everyone is ready or suitable to take part in our research – and that is okay. You can still help us by sharing our research projects with your family, friends and community or making a financial donation to support our work

Cutting edge clinical research is expensive! Our work is mostly funded through competitive grant funding such as  the Medical Research Future Fund and the National Health and Medical Research Council.

We also receive charitable donations from individuals and charities, such as one from Sir Owen Glenn ($3 Million AUD) which supports  Liver Microbiome Research Program.

Or you can make a tax deductable donation through our charity partner Sutherland and St George Medical Research Foundation (Click here to be taken to their site https://ssmrf.com.au/donate).

Our research themes & Programs

The MRC is a comprehensive world-class microbiome-focused research centre committed to tackling diseases that affect the Australian population. Our researchers integrate basic science, translational medicine and harness powerful multi-omic approaches such as genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and microbiomics as well as bioinformatics to answer pertinent questions on the microbiome. We aim to build on our strengths and take advantage of emerging opportunities to expand our repertoire of microbiome related research. We are immensely proud to have strong core research in the following five themes

Research themes

Mental Health and Neuroscience

Liver Program