Why work at HRI?

For HRI to continue to be a leading research institute, the equipment and facilities undergo continual investment and careful management. The research is carried out in our laboratories in Newtown (Sydney, Australia) or at the Charles Perkins Centre at The University of Sydney.

Microscopy facilities with in-house expertise are available along with access to mass spectrometry, histology and proteomics.

HRI staff are spoilt for choice by the availability of research seminars, both internal and external to our institute, presented by HRI researchers and national/international speakers from diverse backgrounds of science, medicine and biomedical engineering. Students and early career researchers are actively encouraged to fine-tune their own presentation skills through regular opportunities to present their research findings to their peers.

Staff also have the opportunity to hear from, and present at, the annual Sydney Cardiovascular Symposium, which is jointly organised by the Heart Research Institute and Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. The event attracts the best and brightest of NSW, national and international cardiovascular researchers.

Students and staff are actively encouraged to present their research on the national and international stage, attending scientific conferences to share their work with the global research community. Funding is available to assist students and staff with travel.

HRI offers a unique and supportive environment fostering the training of students and early career researchers and researcher/clinicians through critical stages of their career, through the provision of active mentoring from our experienced team of senior research staff. Researchers have the opportunity to participate in external mentoring programs with senior researchers from other participating institutions, such as the Franklin Women mentoring program for female researchers.

HRI’s team members come from countries all over the world, and we are currently working on over 199 research collaborations across 49 countries. We are keen to offer opportunities for talented people from around the world to join our team.

HRI has a strong commitment to career progression and learning at every level of the organisation, and promotes equal opportunity in the workplace, with 60 per cent of our research staff being women.

We provide a supportive work environment for return-to-work parents and are recognised as a carer-inclusive workplace by Carers Australia. We also have a well-established and passionate Diversity Council, a committed group of like-minded individuals who come together to foster diversity in the workplace.

HRI represents one of the founding members of the Sydney Cardiovascular Research Consortium (CRC). Sydney CRC is the largest partnership of cardiovascular researchers in Australia, bringing together enormous resources and expertise in a unified and focused collaboration.

HRI has a research hub in the Charles Perkins Centre at The University of Sydney, where we share affiliation with multiple schools, including the School of Medical Sciences (SOMS), School of Chemistry, School of Biomedical Engineering and the Central Clinical School. HRI collaborates on research projects in these diverse areas and/or teaches in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs within these schools.

HRI is working collaboratively with UTS research centres both in research and teaching, including the Institute for Biomedical Materials and Devices (IBMD) and the ithree institute. HRI and UTS scientists were jointly awarded funding by the Australian Research Council to establish a state-of-the art volumetric imaging facility to facilitate observation of cells in their native environment. HRI also contributes to postgraduate teaching within the ithree institute.

HRI staff can benefit from a broad range of training opportunities, including biomedical research skills, manuscript and grant writing skills, teaching and tutoring skills, and financial and personnel management training.

Regular educational seminars are held by peers and group leaders, geared towards supporting staff in progressing in their medical research career. These seminars include workshops to keep staff up to date on the latest research and technology in the field and how to use these facilities at HRI, such as workshops on bioinformatics tools, mass spectrometry, microscopy and more.

HRI was awarded "Best Workplace 2020" by Voice Project for providing an exceptional work environment for staff.