
Understanding & preventing disease
Research underpins our knowledge of disease. Understanding history, sociology, ethics, biology, chemistry and physics is critical to the management and prevention of disease.
La Trobe researchers work in partnership with bioscience institutes, health providers, industry and government to make discoveries in fundamental sciences that improve diagnostics, therapeutics and clinical outcomes across a range of diseases.
Goal:
Application of discoveries in the fundamental sciences and developments in technology to understand and prevent disease – especially at the intersection of cancer, immunity, cardiovascular and infectious disease research.
Our priorities are to:
Prevent disease spread
Our researchers prevent disease in humans, animals and plants by focusing on discoveries with potential to lead to new drugs and therapies.
Improve diagnosis and treatment
Our researchers improve treatment outcomes by investigating disease progression and developing new medical diagnostics and disease monitoring solutions.
Understand disease progression
Our researchers mitigate inequity and inform best practice by tracking the history of disease management, international policy and ethical implications.
Discover our latest research
Discover our Research Centres
- Biomedical and Environmental Sensor Technology Research
- Research Centre for Extracellular Vesicles
- Research Centre for Molecular Cancer Prevention
- Centre for Materials and Surface Science
- Centre for Livestock interactions with Pathogens
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research
- Centre for Technology Infusion
- Cisco Centre for AI and Internet of Things

The Academic and Research Collaborative in Health (ARCH) is a major, multi-site partnership that links La Trobe with eight major health and social care providers, consumers and the research community. The ARCH promotes close ties between research, workforce training, clinical education, clinical practice, policy development and consumer engagement. Together with our partners we ensure high quality, evidence-based healthcare for Australians, co-produced research, innovative education to build workforce capability and pathways to train our future research leaders.

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Discover more about La Trobe’s research experts and find your research collaborators.
Discover La Trobe's other research themes
News
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Bendigo celebrates fundraising milestone
Bendigo philanthropy supports students and funds important research
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Philanthropy accelerates stroke trials
Human trials of a pioneering approach to treating stroke accelerated
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Possible cause of long COVID 'brain fog'
Research reveals amyloid clumps in long COVID patients
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REDI Fellowships for medical research
Dr Brian Abbey and Dr Darcelle Thompson receive coveted Fellowships
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Donation supports cutting-edge research
New Biomedical Research Initiative to understand causes of disease