Australia’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Israel’s Sheba Medical Centre have signed an agreement to foster new international research collaborations and opportunities for staff development.

Peter Mac’s Executive Director of Business Ventures, Associate Professor Dominic Wall (right) with Professor Arnon Afek (2nd from right), Deputy Director General of Sheba Medical Centre, at the MOU signing.

Peter Mac is Australia’s only public hospital solely dedicated to treating people with cancer and Sheba Medical Centre is the largest hospital and cancer centre in Israel and the Middle East.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been formally signed by representatives of Peter Mac, Sheba Medical Centre and the Australian Friends of Sheba Medical Centre.

Peter Mac Chief Executive Professor Shelley Dolan welcomed the MOU as an important step in building Peter Mac’s network of international partnerships and strategic agreements.

“Engaging with leading hospitals and scientific institutes globally delivers new development opportunities for Peter Mac’s staff, grows our program of cutting-edge research and supports our mission to provide world’s best cancer care to Australians,” Professor Dolan said.

“We are delighted to be working with an organisation of the stature of Sheba Medical Centre and look forward to the new collaborations and opportunities this MOU makes possible.”

Professor Arnon Afek, Deputy Director General of Sheba Medical Centre, said: "We believe that the future of medicine is dependent on collaboration, so we are thrilled to work with Peter Mac in trying to find innovative ways to combat cancer”.

“We believe that this is a win-win for both medical facilities that will most certainly benefit people, not just in Israel and Australia, but also around the world," Professor Afek said.

Avri Alfasi, Chairman of the Board of Australian Friends of Sheba Medical Centre, said researchers and clinicians from Australia and Israel have had a long history of friendship and support based on mutual respect and shared values.

“This significant cooperation agreement with the acclaimed Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is aligned with Australian Friends of Sheba’s vision of promoting global health through collaboration with prime institutions in Australia. We look forward to seeing the fruits of this venture,” Mr Alfasi said.

The MOU provides a framework for Peter Mac and Sheba Medical Centre to work together on:

  • Innovation and commercialisation opportunities – Including working towards establishing an innovation hub in Melbourne modelled on Sheba’s successful ARC Innovation Centre
  • Research and scientific collaborations – Allowing exchange of scientific and educational information and materials in support of joint research and clinical trials
  • Bilateral education and training fellowship program – Establishing a program of clinical fellowships, of six to 18-months duration
  • Faculty and researcher exchange – To facilitate visits by clinical staff and researchers for training and education, or to further scientific collaborations

Sheba Medical Centre has been listed as a Top 10 World's Best Hospital for the 4th consecutive year (2019-2022) by Newsweek magazine, while Peter Mac was listed at number 23 in the Best Specialized Hospitals 2022 category.

Contacts:

  • Peter Mac Communications team 0417 123 048
  • Sheba Medical Centre International Spokesperson Steve Walz on 972 52 233 0430

About Peter Mac

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is a world-leading cancer research, education and treatment centre and Australia’s only public health service solely dedicated to caring for people affected by cancer.

About Sheba Medical Centre

The largest and most comprehensive medical centre in Israel and the Middle East, Sheba Medical Centre is generating global impact through its medical care, research and healthcare transformation.