SPHERE celebrates 10 Years of Impact
A decade of collaboration, research translation and better health outcomes was celebrated on Friday 28 August as the SPHERE community came together at the UNSW Health Translation Hub to mark 10 Years of Impact and look ahead to the future.
Researchers, clinicians, health service leaders, consumers and partners from across the SPHERE network gathered to celebrate the projects, people and partnerships that have shaped SPHERE since its establishment in 2016.
Opening the celebration, SPHERE Executive Director Professor Julie White said the milestone was about much more than reaching 10 years.
“We’re not simply celebrating the fact that SPHERE has existed for a decade. We’re celebrating what people across this partnership have been able to achieve by working together.”
Following a Welcome to Country from Aunty Maxine Ryan of the La Perouse Aboriginal Land Council, outgoing Chair Professor Cheryl Jones and Professor Geoff Delaney reflected on SPHERE’s journey and the collective effort that has helped translate research into better care over the past decade.
Keynote speaker Dr Kim Sutherland, Executive Director of the Office for Health and Medical Research, brought a broader health system perspective to the day, before three SPHERE-supported projects demonstrated research translation in action.
Dr Diana Karamacoska shared the story of Dementia Friends Unite!, Professor Jason Grebely traced the journey from the TEMPO Study to a nationally scaled hepatitis C point-of-care testing program, and Scientia Professor Valsamma Eapen AO shared the evolution of Watch Me Grow, from early SPHERE support to a program influencing developmental surveillance and care well beyond its beginnings.
The stories resonated strongly with the audience, with several guests commenting afterwards on how inspiring it was to see what could grow from relatively small, early investments. Together, they provided a powerful illustration of how seed funding can help generate the evidence, partnerships and momentum needed to attract further investment, scale successful approaches and ultimately improve patient and community outcomes.
Building on the first decade
The anniversary also marked the beginning of SPHERE’s next chapter, with Professor White unveiling SPHERE’s new strategy and action plan.
The strategy places health system and community priorities at the centre of research translation, with a strong focus on equity, consumer and community partnership, implementation and demonstrating meaningful impact.
“One of the strongest lessons from the first decade is that demonstrating something works is only the beginning,” Professor White said.
“We now need to ask: How do we scale it? How do we spread it? How do we get it adopted and implemented? And how do we measure whether it is actually making a difference?”
The new direction takes a broader view of health across people’s lives and recognises SPHERE’s diverse geographic footprint as an opportunity to tackle some of the harder challenges around equity, access and inclusion.
South Western Sydney Local Health District Chief Executive Sonia Marshall also offered a health service perspective on the importance of keeping research connected to the needs of patients, communities and the health system.
Looking to the future
That future focus continued with SPHERE’s four 2026 Health Innovation Fellows, Associate Professor Nicola Straiton, Dr Anita Nitchingham, Dr Lisa Ewans and Dr Deanne Jenkin, joining Professor White for a panel discussion exploring the challenges of translating research into sustainable change.
From frailty and delirium recovery to equitable access to genomic medicine and reducing opioid use following surgery and injury, the discussion highlighted the importance of implementation, co-design, collaboration and building research capability within the health system.
The discussion quickly opened to the room, with strong audience participation and plenty of questions for the Fellows. One attendee later commented on how refreshing it was to see so many hands go up, noting that audience Q&A at conferences can often be brief or constrained. The extended discussion gave guests the opportunity to explore issues in greater depth and engage directly with the Fellows about the opportunities and challenges involved in translating their work into practice.
Recognising 10 Years of Impact
The afternoon also saw the presentation of the inaugural SPHERE 10 Years of Impact Awards, recognising outstanding contributions across five categories. The awards celebrated work that has strengthened equity, advanced implementation, built partnerships, supported emerging researchers and demonstrated leadership in translational health research.
- Equity in Health Impact Award
Winner: Scientia Professor Valsamma Eapen AO, Watch Me Grow
Highly Commended: Pasifika Preventing Diabetes Programme - Innovation and Implementation Award
Winner: Professor Jason Grebely, TEMPO Studies
Highly Commended: Professor Sandy Middleton, Quality in Acute Stroke Care Program - Partnership and Collaboration Award
Winner: Pasifika Preventing Diabetes Programme Team
Highly Commended: Nursing and Midwifery Implementation Science Academy - Emerging Researcher Award
Winner: Associate Professor Susann Beier
Highly Commended: Associate Professor Nicola Straiton - Women in Translational Health Leadership Award
Winner: Professor Sandy Middleton
Highly Commended: Professor Natalie Taylor
The recipients reflected the breadth of translational work across the SPHERE partnership, from improving equity and access to embedding evidence into practice and developing the next generation of research leaders.
A decade made possible together
Closing the formal program, SPHERE’s new Independent Chair Professor Geoff McColl reflected on the meaning of SPHERE’s Aboriginal name, Maridulu Budyari Gumal, gifted by the Dharug people in 2017 and meaning working together for good health and wellbeing.
Professor McColl said the name captured something fundamental about SPHERE and its future, with collaboration essential to tackling the complex health system challenges that no single institution, profession or research group can solve alone.
It was a fitting theme for a celebration that ultimately belonged to the SPHERE community. The afternoon concluded with anniversary cake, canapés and a lively networking reception, giving guests the chance to reconnect, make new connections and continue conversations about what the next decade could bring.
As Professor White told guests:
“We have strong examples showing what can happen when the right people come together around a shared challenge.”
After 10 years, that commitment to working together remains at the heart of SPHERE and its next chapter.