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About

ACTER

Australian Centre for Transplantation Excellence and Research (ACTER)

Austin Health is establishing the Australian Centre for Transplantation Excellence and Research (ACTER).

Through ACTER, we will seek excellence in transplantation innovation and clinical care. This will be achieved by bringing together cutting-edge clinical practice, research, transplant-orientated operational systems, and active consumer participation.   

This collaborative approach will harness advanced technologies and multi-disciplinary expertise in transplantation, positioning Austin Health as a national leader in organ retrieval, transplantation and patient care.

A liver patient

Goals

ACTER’s goals are to improve access to transplantation and the health outcomes and quality of life before, during and after transplantation.

To achieve this, ACTER will:

  • bring together clinical and operational expertise across multiple transplant streams, while embedding consumer experience
  • accelerate translation of research into new and better treatment options
  • develop a holistic model of transplant patient care and wellness.

A national leader in transplant excellence

Austin Health is a major provider of transplants nationally with a long history of excellence. We deliver a broad range of transplants, including liver, intestinal, kidney, multi-visceral, and allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplants, and transplant research.

Notable transplant activities include:

  • The first Australian hospital with both liver and kidney transplant machine perfusion – innovative technology that improves organ viability and transplant success.
  • Responsible for all adult and paediatric liver transplants in Victoria, Tasmania and Southern NSW, through the Victorian Liver Transplant Unit (VLTU).
  • Responsible for retrieval of abdominal organs and tissue in Victoria and Tasmania, through the Victorian and Tasmanian Organ Retrieval Service (VICTORS).
  • Host of the national human donor tissue repository for advancing immunological research, The Australian Donation and Transplantation Biobank (ADTB).
  • Responsible for intestinal transplantation for Australia and New Zealand, through the Australian Intestinal Transplant Service.
  • High immunological risk kidney transplantation: the first Australian centre to offer imlifidase supported transplantation.

Australia's most comprehensive transplant machine perfusion program

Austin Health is the first Australian hospital with both liver and kidney perfusion machines, incorporating normothermic and hypothermic oxygenated technologies that keep organs healthy longer, so more transplants can be successfully performed.

Machine perfusion devices assess and better preserve organs prior to transplantation. This makes it possible to transplant organs that would not be viable without machine perfusion, ultimately improving access and outcomes for patients. Machine perfusion of kidneys is available for Victorians and Tasmanians via the Victorian and Tasmanian Organ Retrieval Service.

Transplant news at Austin Health

Yuli's second chance: Life after intestinal transplant at Austin Health

24 July 2025 - At just 19 years old, Yuli Mori has already faced more than most do in a lifetime. Born with intestinal pseudo-obstruction, Yuli spent much of her life unable to absorb or digest food. Even something as simple as brushing her teeth would make her ill. She was fed through a central line and often too unwell to go to school. 

100 kidney transplant perfusions and counting: A major milestone for transplantation at Austin Health

9 July 2025 - Austin Health has reached an important milestone, with 100 hypothermic (cold) oxygenated machine perfusion (HOMP) cases now completed through an Australian Centre for Transplantation Excellence and Research (ACTER) initiative.

Groundbreaking bone marrow transplant leads to leukaemia remission

4 June 2025 - 64-year-old leukaemia patient, Colin, is now in remission following a rare and complex bone marrow transplant performed at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre (ONJ Centre).

‘Every single day is a gift’: Jo’s life after a liver transplant 

19 April 2025 - When Jo Knight started feeling constantly tired and nauseous, she knew something wasn’t right. But she never expected it would lead to needing a liver transplant. 

Celebrating 250 paediatric liver transplants delivered in Victoria!

19 March 2025 - This morning, Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas joined Austin Health and The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) to celebrate a major milestone – completing more than 250 paediatric liver transplants!

 A gift of life for Christmas

 23 January 2025 - Just before Christmas last year, a Warrnambool family got the kind of gift that’s truly priceless. Katrina Brightwell gave her daughter, Mira, a kidney – a life-changing act of love that has already made a huge difference to Mira’s life.

View all transplant news > 

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