Health and Vitality in our Community (HViC)
The Health and Vitality in our Community (HViC) study seeks to better understand the individual and environmental factors that contribute to health, wellbeing and illness. We also seek to improve the performance of health research in general, with a particular focus on increasing value to participants and their communities.
We want to learn more about how various environmental, lifestyle, physical, genetic and other biological factors interact with one another, and how they influence health and wellbeing throughout the adult life course.
Considering a person’s own combination of these factors to better understand their unique experience of past, current and future health and wellbeing, and using that to both inform preventative health and treatment choices, is an approach called ‘precision medicine’. We are asking for volunteers to help us inform the future of precision medicine in Victoria.
How do I participate?
We invite all Victorian adults who would like to learn more about this study to register their interest in taking part. A researcher will be in touch to confirm your eligibility, and your willingness, to become a HViC study participant.
We will collect information, biological samples and direct measurements of participants’ health (including mental, oral and eye health), daily habits, body functions, mouth/gut bacteria and genes (ie, DNA) to develop a better understanding of what influences good health, wellbeing and disease.
This project is a strategic priority of the University of Melbourne, and particularly the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. The project is funded through the University, and via the Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund.
Head to 'About the study’ tab for detailed background information about the study.
About the study
In this study, we seek to collect detailed information about participants' health, daily habits, experiences, lifestyle, choices, body function and genes (DNA), through the collection of:
- Physical health measures (such as blood pressure and lung volume testing)
- Questionnaires
- Information collected from smart phones and smart watches
- Biological samples – such as blood, saliva, urine, dental plaque, and poo. These samples also tell us about the activity of bacteria ("bugs") within the body!
All of these factors play important roles in determining health and disease throughout life. Some of the biological samples will have routine tests carried out on them, like blood tests you might have at your doctors. Others will be examined for the things that make up our cells and keep them functioning, including proteins, genes, and other small molecules.
By collecting such rich and detailed information from a diverse group of Victorians, here and in future projects, we aim to advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of a wide range of health conditions.
This approach requires lots of people to take part, and lots of information over time to facilitate understanding of how people’s similarities and differences contribute to health over the life span. We hope to inform and improve personalised/precision healthcare, where prevention and treatment is tailored to an individual’s unique biology, lifestyle and needs.
Get involved
To be eligible to participate, you must be:
- Aged 25 – 70 years
- Not currently acutely unwell
- No recent major surgery
- Ability to fast (ie, not eat/drink, other than water) for 4 hours
- Not currently pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have access to and exclusive use of a smartphone.
Eligible participants will be invited to attend the Participant Assessment Research Centre (‘PARC’) in Carlton, to provide their biological samples and complete physical measures, questionnaires and a health interview. It will take about 3.5 hours.
The PARC is located within the Australian College of Optometry, at 374 Cardigan Street, Carlton, VIC.
What happens if I take part?
We will ask participants to install an app on their smart phones, and wear a (provided) smart watch to allow us to collect information about your body’s movement and function (eg, heart rate, sleep cycles, daily step count) over the following 14 days. We will also provide you with a kit and a reply-paid envelope to take home, and ask that you collect and send back a poo sample following your visit.
Following their study visit, participants may choose to receive some individual health reports, such as an overview of their eye health, hearing, oral (mouth/teeth) health, and dietary intake.
This study is being conducted by the University of Melbourne and affiliated researchers. The study has been approved by the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC #28434).
Meet the team
The HViC team is made up of staff and researchers from across the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct.
Meet the team at PARC
- Ms Kym Rickards – Senior Research Assistant
- Ms Astha Kattel – Research Assistant
- Ms Anna Middleton – Research Coordinator
- Dr Julian Simmons – Project Supervisor
- Ms Justine Underwood – Project Manager
- Mr Alan Tsui – Data Manager
Lead researchers
University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science
- A/Prof Bernie Pope
- Dr Mihiri Silva
- A/Prof Laren Ayton
- Ms Jessica Holliday
- Ms Rebekah Street
- Professor Yoshihisa Kashima
- Professor Nicholas Haslam
- Professor Nicholas Allen
- A/Prof Adrian Bickerstaffe
- Ms Samantha Fox
- Ms Hannah Murchie
- Ms Emmelyne Jack
- Mr Joshua Harris
- A/Prof Michael Menden
- Dr Amy Loughman
University of Melbourne Faculty of Science
- A/Prof Kate Howell
- Dr Robyn Larsen
- Dr Chiara Murgia
- Prof Kim-Anh Le Cao
Bio21Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute
- A/Prof David Stroud
- Dr Subash Adhikari
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
- Professor Richard Saffery
- Dr Kim Powell
Columbia University Irving Medical Centre – NY, USA
- Dr Djamila Eliby
Interested in taking part?
While we have now finished recruitment for this study phase, our next study phase – the Our Health Study – will be recruiting participants from 2026. For more information, please visit the Our Health Study site, or contact us on our updated email address, ourhealth-study@unimelb.edu.au.
Contact HViC
The HViC research team can be emailed directly at hvic-study@unimelb.edu.au.
Visiting the PARC
The Participant Assessment Research Centre (PARC) is located within the Australian College of Optometry:
374 Cardigan Street,
Carlton, VIC 3053
Thank you for your interest in the HViC study! We have now finished recruitment for this study phase.
We are excited be recruiting participants for the next study phase – the Our Health Study – from 2026. For more information, please visit psychologicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/research/ourhealthstudy, or contact us on our updated email address ourhealth-study@unimelb.edu.au.