South Australian medical research will receive a $1.4 million cash injection, as a direct result of a major investment and philanthropy conference held in Adelaide.

The State Government brought Australia's premier investment and philanthropy event, Sohn Hearts & Minds, to South Australia for the first time in November 2024.

Since launching in 2016, Sohn Hearts & Minds has used the proceeds of its events and activities to fund Australian medical research. In total, the conference has hosted 209 speakers and been attended by more than 7800 people.

A portion of business transaction undertaken at the events is set aside for medical research and also topped up further by large and generous individual and corporate donations.

In Adelaide, leading international and local fund managers, as well as influential global thought leaders gathered at the one-day event to present their exclusive investment ideas and insights in a fast-paced, TED-style format. The 2024 event, held in Adelaide’s Festival Theatre, attracted more than 600 attendees that represented more than $1 trillion worth of investment and funds under management

In collaboration with the Government of South Australia and Invest SA, the conference program included discussion panels with themes such as space and AI, featuring insights from South Australian experts, and raised $1.4 million for charity.

The local recipients of that funding have now been confirmed as:

1. Professor Alex Brown - Kids Research Institute Australia and Australian National University

$830,000 to support Professor Brown’s national Indigenous Genomics agenda, which is a broad program of work spanning community consultation, research, translation and advocacy designed to deliver the benefits of genomics and precision medicine to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

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2. Professor Karen Reynolds - Flinders University Medical Device Research Institute

$540,000 to continue the development of innovative solutions to the medical and allied health sector in medical devices, assistive technologies, instruments, software and systems for understanding, diagnosing, treating and monitoring medical conditions.

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3. Associate Professor Tim Sargeant - SA Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)

$100,000 to continue his research on the role of autophagy and lysosomal recycling in common age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

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Sohn Hearts & Minds has previously been held in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart and raised more than $78 million alongside its philanthropic listed investment company, Hearts and Minds Investments Limited (HM1). These funds are made possible thanks to the generous supporters of Sohn Hearts & Minds.

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Quotes attributable to Minister for Trade and Investment, Joe Szakacs

Hosting Australia’s premier investor event and thought leadership conference in Adelaide meant 600 senior representatives and key decision-makers from over 450 organisations came to our state, expanding connections for local business.

But it will also leave a permanent legacy for South Australian medical research.

These investments in the future of science will help to boost the well-being of our community as researchers strive to continue making our lives happier, and longer.

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Quotes attributable to Maggie O’Neill, Sohn Hearts & Minds

We’re proud to support these brilliant minds as they push the boundaries of discovery and impact. These projects have the potential to drive meaningful change—through cutting-edge medical devices, advancing precision medicine for Indigenous communities, and deepening our understanding of neurodegenerative disease.

Expanding our support to South Australian researchers reflects our commitment to backing world-class medical innovation across Australia. We sincerely thank the Government of South Australia and Invest SA for supporting Sohn Hearts & Minds in Adelaide last year.

Quotes attributable to Professor Alex Brown

By putting the development of a precision medicine agenda in the hands of Indigenous peoples, we will see tangible outcomes which meet the health priorities of communities.

Quotes attributable to Professor Karen Reynolds

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and alongside an evolving healthcare system, MDRI is proud to be a leader in this transformation, developing new solutions and driving healthy futures.

Thanks to Sohn Hearts & Minds’ generous donation, we will be able to advance our multidisciplinary research in medical devices and assistive technologies, fostering collaboration with industry and clinicians to develop innovative solutions that improve patient care and wellbeing.

Quotes attributable to Professor Tim Sargeant

The generous donation from Sohn Hearts & Minds will enable my research group at SAHMRI to advance our work on the fundamental causes of ageing and age-related diseases in humans.

This support is essential, as age-related diseases such as dementia and heart disease are the leading causes of death in Australia.