Sydney Health Partners Supports SydMSK Events

More than 210 people attended the ASM to see keynote presentations by Associate Professor Dave Walton from Western University in Canada, Professor Deborah Schofield from Macquarie University, Professor Ian Harris (UNSW) and Professor Sally Pearson (UNSW).

Sydney Health Partners (SHP) supported the event, with Executive Director Professor Garry Jennings presenting prizes for the best oral and poster presentations.

Formed in 2017 as an initiative of the University of Sydney, SydMSK is collaborative network that aims to discover new methods to prevent, manage and cure disabling musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and back pain.

Since then, SydMSK has become closely aligned with SHP’s Musculoskeletal research stream and its focus on translating research into evidence-based healthcare.

SydMSK executive committee member, Professor Chris Maher, said it was amazing to see what has been achieved alongside SHP in just three years.

“SYDMSK is doing something that is world-leading and incredibly impactful,” he said. “We are very grateful for the support that Sydney Health Partners has provided.”

Fellow committee member, Professor Lyn March, said the growth of SydMSK has re-enforced her belief that the power of a collaborative research network should not be underestimated.

“With a relatively small amount of funding, SydMSK and SHP collaborators have made great progress and created opportunities to develop and share new learnings,” she said. “I feel we are truly demonstrating that ‘the more we share, the more we have.’ We have built a great platform that I hope we can continue to build on to help improve MSK health for all.”

University of Sydney Florance and Cope Chair of Rheumatology, Professor David Hunter, believes the annual scientific meeting showcased the breadth and depth of the work being conducted across the musculoskeletal community affiliated with the University.

“Distinct highlights were the work that demonstrated translation and impact in healthcare settings, much of which had been supported or instigated by interactions with Sydney Health Partners,” he said.

Following the ASM, SHP also supported a SydMSK workshop run by Knowledge Translation Australia, which focused on how researchers can maximise the impact of their findings.

Professor Jennings said the two events were assisted by SHP to facilitate research collaboration and knowledge transfer across the Partnership.

“Sydney Health Partner’s matrix structure of research streams and cross-cutting themes means there are opportunities for researchers to collaborate within and between disciplines in ways that can translate research into clinical practice. And where such networks already exist, we are aligning with and supporting them when we can.”

“We are pleased to be able to work alongside SydMSK, which is an exemplary collaboration network that is achieving demonstrable impacts for better health outcomes.”