Behind every lifesaving discovery is a story, and now, SAHMRI is inviting you inside to see where those stories begin.
For the first time, one of Australia’s most advanced medical research institutes has opened its doors virtually, offering 24/7 access to the labs, technology, and people shaping the future of health.
The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute’s Inside SAHMRI virtual tour is more than a digital walkthrough. It’s a bridge between world-class science and the communities it serves, giving everyone — from curious students to international collaborators — a front-row seat to groundbreaking research.
SAMHRI foyer. Credit: skyavenue.com.au/virtualtour/sahmri
Whether you’re in a city classroom or a remote outback town, the experience brings SAHMRI’s iconic building and its vital work to life. And in doing so, it makes one thing clear: innovation isn’t just happening in the labs. It’s built into the very way SAHMRI shares science with the world.
A new way to explore world-class research
The Inside SAHMRI virtual tour is a first for Australia. No other medical research institute in the country has created such an immersive, open-access experience, and few in the world have attempted it.
Designed as a self-guided virtual journey, the tour takes you beyond the striking glass facade of SAHMRI’s North Terrace building into spaces usually reserved for researchers. In fact, Inside SAHMRI even allows you to explore areas that are normally off-limits on a standard physical tour, such as sterile rooms.
SAMHRI’s self-guided virtual tour allows access to all areas. Credit: skyavenue.com.au/virtualtour/sahmri.
High-resolution animations and detailed insights reveal the inner workings of a facility tackling some of our greatest health challenges, from heart disease and cancer to childhood illnesses and rare conditions.
For the public, it’s a rare chance to see how discoveries are made. For potential research partners and supporters, it’s an invitation into the heart of a world-class institute committed to creating healthier futures. And because it’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the barriers of distance and timing vanish, making SAHMRI’s science more accessible than ever before.
Education without borders
One of the most powerful aspects of Inside SAHMRI is its impact on learning. By weaving educational content that supports the national curriculum throughout the experience, the tour transforms a digital walkthrough into a classroom-ready resource.
Want to explore healthy ageing? Jump into the level 6 labs to discover how living cells recycle their worn-out parts and learn how boosting this process (called autophagy) could slow down age-related diseases.
The Inside SAHMRI virtual tour includes material supporting the national curriculum. Credit: skyavenue.com.au/virtualtour/sahmri.
Keen to understand how radioisotopes for PET scans are made? Descend into the underground bunker and discover SA’s only producer of FDG, the marker agent used in this vital technology.
For students in regional and remote areas, where school excursions to Adelaide might be out of reach, the tour offers unprecedented access to a leading research facility. It introduces secondary students to the real-world applications of science and opens their eyes to career pathways they might never have considered, including roles in medical research that go far beyond biology degrees.
Teachers can integrate the tour into lessons on everything from biology and chemistry to technology and health sciences. And for curious students, it’s an invitation to see science not as something that lives in textbooks, but as something that saves lives.
Supporting researchers and fostering collaboration
Behind the virtual tour is a practical benefit for SAHMRI’s 700-plus researchers. Every year, the institute welcomes thousands of visitors on in-person tours, ranging from schools to community groups and the general public. While those visits are invaluable for engaging the community, they also take researchers away from the lab. The virtual experience helps balance that demand. By offering a rich, interactive alternative that can be accessed anywhere, anytime, it eases the load on staff and lets them focus on their core mission — delivering lifesaving research.
Potential students and collaborators can explore SAHMRI’s state-of-the-art facilities without ever setting foot on site. Credit: skyavenue.com.au/virtualtour/sahmri.
At the same time, the tour serves as a powerful tool for building partnerships. Honours and PhD candidates can explore SAHMRI’s state-of-the-art facilities — from single‑cell genomics to the emerging technology of fluxomics and South Australia’s only cyclotron — and size up project opportunities without boarding a plane.
Similarly, potential collaborators can see firsthand the technologies driving discovery. Need a clinical trials facility with experience running large multi-centre trials, or access to high‑throughput screens that identified new ALL gene targets? Start the conversation with a single click.
For both, the message is clear: SAHMRI is not just a research institute, but a hub for innovation and global collaboration.
A look inside cancer medicine research at SAMHRI. Credit: skyavenue.com.au/virtualtour/sahmri
Strengthening community connection
SAHMRI’s work doesn’t just live in labs. It lives in the communities it serves. The virtual tour amplifies that connection by making world-class research visible to anyone with an internet connection.
Launching during National Science Week underscores that mission. It’s a moment designed to celebrate science as a shared endeavour and to invite the public into the story of discovery. For families, students and supporters, the tour offers a deeper understanding of how research translates into healthier futures.
By breaking down walls — both physical and digital — the experience strengthens the bond between SAHMRI and the people who benefit from its work. It also reflects a broader truth: science is most powerful when it’s open, accessible, and built on trust.
South Australia’s only cyclotron, the heart of the Molecular Imaging and Therapy Research Unit, also known as MITRU. Credit: skyavenue.com.au/virtualtour/sahmri
Pioneering accessibility in medical research
Inside SAHMRI isn’t just a new way to explore a building. It’s a statement of intent. By opening its doors digitally, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute is setting a benchmark for accessibility in science.
For students, it’s a spark that could ignite a career. For researchers, it’s a window into collaboration. For the public, it’s an invitation to see how world-class research happens and why it matters.
This is innovation that goes beyond technology. It’s about sharing knowledge, building trust, and connecting communities with the science that shapes their lives. And now, anyone, anywhere, can take that first step inside.
Step inside SAHMRI and see where discoveries begin. Take the virtual tour today.
Take a look Inside SAMHRI. Credit: skyavenue.com.au/virtualtour/sahmri.