Wealth of the west

So why Western Australia? With home-state knowledge, Palmer knew that WA had distinct and significant advantages for the type and scale of genetic epidemiology he wanted to do after returning to Australia from similar work as a junior professor at Harvard Medical School in the US. Australia in general has well established and widely recognised expertise and facilities in population-based research and clinical research. It also has a proven ability to translate the data into clinical benefit, and some of the best examples of this ability come from WA.

One reason for this history is the condensed nature and cohesiveness of the state health system. There is a limited number of referral centres for the whole population, which facilitates complete population base ascertainment of whatever it is being studied study – “a really big advantage,” according to Palmer. WA also has a long history of population-based research, including the Busselton study.

“We have over 40 years of linked data and linked families within that. No other state in Australia and only five other countries in the world have anything like the amount of information we have here.” Palmer credits Busselton as a great inspiration that helped set the scene for the planned Joondalup project. “For one thing, Busselton was seen as a great thing by the Western Australian community. People have been following it for 40 years so this type of study and its benefits are already in the general consciousness.”

On a more local level, Joondalup is a relatively new and geographically distinct city with a very strong sense of identity. Joondalup also houses two university campuses and one major hospital, so already has a huge amount of the necessary infrastructure in place as well as relevant government, educational and medical facilities. Most importantly perhaps, the people of Joondalup are incredibly and overwhelmingly supportive of the whole project. Basically, “if we can’t do it successfully here, it probably can’t be done anywhere,” Palmer says.