Our Mark in Westmead Hospital

Common muscloskeletal conditions are common in Australia, with about 30% living with at least one of these conditions. Last year, the Rheumatology Department performed thousands of consultations over three Western Sydney Local Health District Hospitals, including Westmead. 

Our team is working on research to identify which mediactions will work for each individual based on DNA and targeting methods. This will create a quicker route for the treatment of each patient.

How your donation will help

With your support the Rheumatology Department will be able to fund research on targeted medication for patients. 

Meet the Research Team

Peter Wong MD and Grant Logan PhD are medical staff and researchers dedicated to improving patient care and the way that their patients can experience the world.

Dr. Peter Wong has spent his medical career taking care of people with arthritis, both psoriatic and rheumatoid. He loves to call himself the, “aches and pains doctor”.

Dr. Grant Logan has been studying molecular and cell-based immunotherapies for over 20 years. He pinpoints the start of his career from a $100,000 grant from the Rebecca Cooper Foundation. For Grant that $100,000 has carried him and his research community to where they are now. With that money Grant was able to hire one of his closest colleagues for whom he still collaborates on ideas with.

Today, Dr. Logan and Dr. Wong are working on targeting pharmaceutical therapies to treat their patients. Currently, in Rheumatology, there are around 13 different treatments, but not every person will respond the same. It has become a game of best guess, try for a while, then if it doesn’t work, try again. The idea is to create a one stop test to get patient treated correctly, the first time. They will look at the DNA of each of their patients, and be able to prescribe them something that finally works.