Mission and Vision 

The ARI will coordinate, conduct and facilitate research into the mechanisms linking lifestyle factors to both enhanced health and disease, especially at the biochemical level and ensure this knowledge is translated, wherever possible, into clinical and community practice.

As an integrated multidisciplinary research centre, the ARI will be a national leader in lifestyle medicine research.

Values

Excellence in research at the ARI is based on the core Christian principles of seeking (discovering) and applying what is true (actual or factual) for the betterment of humanity.

Key Objectives

To use quantitative and qualitative research methodology (both in vitro and in vivo) to improve our understanding of how specific lifestyle choices impact the human physiology to promote either health or the development of disease.

Building on the information derived from this research, develop key messages/programs/strategies that will engage the Australian (and broader) community facilitating the adoption of healthy lifestyle choices.

Provide an evidence-based conduit for public education on the importance of adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviours to nurture health and wellbeing from an early age.

Strategic Priorities

To characterise the impact of nutrition and lifestyle on the body's level of free radical (oxidative) damage and inflammation.

To test the effectiveness of treatments that promote human wellness, in particular as it relates to reduced free radical damage.

Differentiation

In addition to acute medical intervention, improving health through nutrition and lifestyle, has been a key focus of Adventist HealthCare throughout the world over the past century. Developing an understanding of good health principles and encouraging the application of these principles has remained a core objective of Adventist HealthCare's duty-of-care to the community.

The ARI operates from within the unique environment of the well-established and recognised Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAH) and the wider Adventist HealthCare and academic network. As a world class medical institution with a history of over 100yrs of service to the Australian community SAH offers a wide range of Scientific, Medical, Nursing and allied health professionals on site from which the ARI can draw.

Services

1. Provide advice and support to researchers within AHCL and member organisations.
2. Fund high quality research that is within the guidelines of the ARI.
3. Act as a resource centre for researchers: i.e. for consultation with project development and GRANT writing, collaborator contacts, statistical analysis and writing for publication.
4. Promote, facilitate and encourage research activity by academic and professional staff of ARI member organisations
5. Promote, facilitate and encourage research collaborations between academic and professional staff and associates of ARI member organisations and the wider (national and international) research communities.
6. Conduct research for commercial bodies; including Clinical efficacy studies and Clinical therapeutic trials.

Questions the ARI Seeks to Answer

1. What are the best markers for characterising inflammation and oxidative stress (OS) in the body?

2. Does reducing inflammation and OS translate to better health outcomes (irrespective of whether the BMI is within the 'normal' range)?

3. Can monitoring inflammation and OS serve as a predicitive diagnostic tool for lifestyle disease risk and to return a person to true physiological wellness?

4. Do certain foods/food combinations increase inflammation and OS within the body?

5. Are there foods/food components/additives that can reduce inflammation and OS in the body (corollary - do various antioxidant supplements actually reduce OS)?

6. What role does exercise play in reducing inflammation and OS? 

7. In addition to diet and exercise, what other elements of lifestyle contribute to inflammation and OS (e.g. anxiety, stress, lack of sleep, etc.)?