Objective: To reflect on the establishment and evolution of the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research.
Method: Narrative historical review.
Results: First established as an inpatient research unit in December 1987, the focus of the Centre evolved in concert with the skills of the staff. After the structure was revised in 1996 and 1999, the Centre has evolved into a group with four main research streams--epidemiology, developmental neurobiology, genetics and policy and economics. Although the group maintains a strong focus on serious mental disorders such as schizophrenia, our policy and economic work has a wider perspective. The Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research is based in an historic mental health service, with laboratories in collaborating universities and institutes. Key lessons learnt by the group along the way relate to the importance of focusing on a restricted range of research topics in order to build a critical mass.
Conclusions: Given a facilitating environment, hospital-based research groups can prosper. Over the last 17 years, a cost-efficient, focused and productive research group has evolved that has made contributions to international research.