The Institute was created within The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, one of the most respected paediatric centres in the world.

For over 25 years our hospital has excelled in brain, nerve and muscle research.

The Head of the Institute, Professor Kathryn North, leads the laboratory-based and clinical trials research team within The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The Institute’s Research Laboratory has seventeen professional scientists and graduate (PhD) students dedicated to full time research. In addition the Institute actively collaborates with leading researchers within Australia, the USA and Europe.

The Deputy Head of the Institute, Dr Russell Dale, leads the Neuroimmunology clinical and laboratory research team and has developed expertise in childhood multiple sclerosis and post-infectious movement disorders. He completed his medical training at University of Leeds in UK and his postgraduate research training at Institute for Neurology-London. He was the 2009 recipient of the John Stobo Pritchard Research Award from the Child Neurology Association- which is awarded to a young child neurologist who has made significant contribution to clinical or basic research.

Clinical Professor Robert Ouvrier, is Foundation Head and Senior Advisor to the INMR . He is a highly regarded international figure in research on nerve and muscle disorders affecting children. He is a Councillor of a number of Australian research bodies including the Nerve Foundation and the Madeleine Foundations and he is a member of the INSERM (National Health and Medical Research Institute) group at the RobertDebréHospital in Paris. In 2006, Professor Ouvrier was elected President of the International Child Neurology Association.

The Institute was established by the Hospital in late 1999 in order to focus more effectively on the expansion and support of this important research area. In 2001, the Institute was greatly honoured to receive Vice Regal Patronage by her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC, Governor of NSW.

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