It is with great pride that we share with you the 2024 Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) Annual Report.

This year’s Annual Report contains so many incredible stories from across the Institute, reflecting MCRI’s determination to give all children the opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilled life.

Featured on this year’s cover is four-year-old Summer, who was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition KIF1A-associated Neurological Disorder. Her family responded to this challenge by establishing the Australian arm of an international foundation to help fund faster diagnosis, better treatments and, hopefully, a cure. Summer’s is a progressive disease that affects the brain, muscles and nerves, so the sense of urgency for Summer’s family is palpable.

Other highlights from 2024 include a world-first discovery that enables our researchers to turn patient blood samples into bone marrow stem cells, to better treat bone marrow failure and blood cancers like leukemia.

We explored the trajectory of mental health in one of our longest-studied groups of children, now teenagers. The Child-to-Adult Transition Study found that young people’s mental health is often affected long-term, with nearly two thirds reporting three or more periods of anxiety and depression. Importantly, this study also pointed out possible protective factors and serves as the basis to influence health policy and practice into the future.

These achievements and breakthroughs, positioning MCRI as the future of child health, would not have been possible without your passion and generosity. Our supporters enable us to make transformational discoveries for children and their families from our Institute, in our hospitals, into our communities and around the world.

Please enjoy MCRI’s 2024 annual report, filled with these incredible stories - and more.