About Us
The Western Australian Health Translation Network (WAHTN) is a state-wide collaborative network of WA’s universities, medical research institutes, public and private hospitals, PathWest and the WA Department of Health. WAHTN advances the translation of evidence-based health and medical research into changes in policy, practice, training and innovation, to benefit the health and wellbeing of all Western Australians.
WAHTN received formal accreditation as a Research Translation Centre (RTC) by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in June 2017, and reaccredited in 2022. The NHMRC accreditation recognises WAHTN as a network of world-class academic, research and healthcare delivery facilities prepared to embrace and accelerate research translation. View our first progress report submitted to the NHMRC.
WAHTN is part of the Australian Health Research Alliance (AHRA), which is comprised of 11 NHMRC-accredited Research Translation Centres and three emerging RTCs across the country. AHRA aims to improve healthcare by supporting health service-led, priority-driven and co-designed collaborative research.
Read our ‘The First Five Years‘ document to learn more about our history.
Vision & Aims
WAHTN’s vision is to ensure health and medical research is continuously and rapidly translated into healthcare in order to create a sustainable, evidence-based, high-quality health system.
WAHTN aims to connect health and medical clinicians, researchers and community to innovate for better health and to bring together all key stakeholders within WA who have an interest in improving health through research. This includes:
- Universities
- Medical research institutes
- Public and private healthcare providers
- Primary care and community health entities
- Consumers
- The Department of Health
- The Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation
- Other government agencies
Objectives
WAHTN’s objectives, in working towards our Vision, are to:
- Advance the continuous and rapid translation of evidence-based health and medical research
- By making changes to policy, practice, training and innovation to benefit all Western Australians
- Ensure research informs and aligns with training, workforce and patient care
- To create a sustainable, evidence-based, high-quality health system
- Promote collaboration and inclusiveness between WA and national researchers
- Through the identification of areas of mutual cooperation and engagement with local, national and international networks
- Facilitate effective and equitable enabling platforms (our activities and initiatives)
- To enhance and promote excellence in research, health care, education and translation
- Promote the continuum of innovation from discovery to healthcare improvement
- By embedding a research culture into clinical practice
- Provide support and leadership
- Through transparency and communication to, and on behalf of, the WA health and medical research sector
- Support the development of a priority-driven health and research agenda
- Through provision of evidence-based strategic advice to policy makers, government and other agencies