At the Sohn Hearts & Minds Conference this year, Peter Cooper interviewed Oaktree Capital’s Howard Marks alongside James Thomson from the AFR.
CI has been a longstanding supporter of Hearts & Minds, with more than $72m to date donated to medical research in Australia (ASX:HM1).
HM1 is the listed investment vehicle that gives retail investors access to some of the best investment ideas from the Australian funds management community, as well providing valuable donations to medical research. As a core manager of HM1, Cooper Investors portfolio managers offer their investment expertise through pro bono funds management, bringing valuable skills to the charitable sector. They play a key role in championing and advancing innovative, sustainable funding models within the for-purpose sector.
At this year’s event, Cooper Investors Founder and CIO Peter Cooper interviewed Howard Marks alongside AFR journalist James Thomson. Off the back of the recent US election, the interview covered a broad range of geopolitical and investment topics, with Howard remaining high conviction and bullish on the US economy and ability to keep innovating.
Through Hearts & Minds, Cooper Investors has directed support to the following organisations and projects:
Bionics Institute – Diagnosis and Treatment of Tinnitus
In December 2023, CI directed funding via its Hearts and Minds allocation to the Bionics Institute Experimental Device Engineering Hub to research and develop a new prototype to test tinnitus using a brain imaging technology that monitors oxygen levels in the brain called functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Tinnitus (hearing sounds not present externally like hissing or buzzing) affects 15% of the population and can severely impact quality of life. Currently there is no cure and no reliable treatments for tinnitus, further there are no objective tests to determine if potential treatments are even working. The Bionics Institute engineering team have now produced five prototypes that are being put into use in a multi-site clinical trial.
Turning Point – Tackling Alcohol Addiction with Innovative Technology
This pioneering research led by Professor Dan Lubman, explores the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a resonance-breathing, brain-body calming training program delivered via a smartphone app to reduce alcohol cravings and consumption.
Study participants will wear a Garmin wristband that continuously records heart rate syncing with the app to record the beat-to-beat variation in heart rate and the impact of the training practices. Additional measures related to emotional and cognitive functioning will also be measured at baseline and post-intervention.
Hammond Care – Optimising Dementia Diagnosis and Treatment
In a world first, this project will utilise a data linkage between Dementia Support Australia (DSA) and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) Death Index to better understand the clinical presentation and prevalence of terminal agitation. This initiative aims to use this information inform development of a clinical tool for aged and acute care settings to improve the identification and diagnosis of terminal agitation.
