RAPID Labs Expansion: New Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facilities Completed

Facility Now Operational at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital

Construction of new radiochemistry laboratories and a cyclotron facility at RAPID Labs, located at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, has been completed. The expansion includes a second cyclotron and new radiopharmaceutical laboratories.

The facility will increase local production capacity for radiopharmaceuticals used in PET and SPECT imaging for research and clinical applications.

These imaging technologies are critical for the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of conditions, including cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, heart diseases, and thyroid disorders.

Collaborative Project

The project is a collaboration between several key partners:

• Western Australia Node of the National Imaging Facility (WA NIF)
• The University of Western Australia (UWA)
• RAPID Labs
• The Department of Health
• The National Imaging Facility (through the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy)
• Philanthropic and research partners

WA NIF and UWA have funded and established a dedicated research radiopharmaceutical laboratory within the new facility.

Clinical Trial Opportunities

The expansion is expected to improve opportunities for WA-based researchers to recruit patients for national and international clinical trials, particularly as the facility progresses toward Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification. Currently, radiopharmaceuticals required for clinical trials are often transported from interstate due to GMP requirements.

Growing Global Demand

Demand for radiopharmaceuticals continues to grow globally, driven by advances in personalised medicine, targeted therapies, and precision imaging. The expanded infrastructure at SCGH and the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre precinct is intended to support growing research demand and strengthen local capability in molecular imaging and radiopharmaceutical science.

Leadership Statements

UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Anna Nowak said the partnership demonstrated the importance of collaboration between universities, hospitals, government, and national research infrastructure providers. She stated that the project highlights achievements possible when institutions work together to build shared research capability.

WA NIF Node Director Professor Paul M Parizel said the co-location of RAPID Labs and WA NIF imaging infrastructure creates an opportunity to strengthen translational research capability in Western Australia.

Preclinical Imaging Capability

The infrastructure will also support WA’s only preclinical PET-SPECT-CT imaging capability, operated through the WA NIF Node and UWA, enabling researchers to test new diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals before progressing into human studies.