By Branwen Morgan

For several years, the idea of a multinational funding scheme to support research in the Asia-Pacific region has been brewing. Finally, at the biannual Australian Health and Medical Research Congress late last year, policymakers publicly discussed the merits and challenges of such a venture for the first time.

The congress in Melbourne, convened by the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR), attracted about 1,500 delegates from 18 countries. Dignitaries at the November event included Australia’s minister for mental health and aging and the acting consul-general of Japan.

(Click here to continue reading.)