Current Research

Adults with congenital heart disease are predisposed to abnormal heart rhythms, or "arrhythmias", due to scar tissue in the heart muscle. These arrhythmias can...

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This project will explore quantitative research methodologies and techniques, and then apply these to describe contexts of cardiovascular disease for Indigenous...

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Heart failure rates are increasing exponentially in Australia and worldwide. One in two people diagnosed with severe heart failure will die within one year of...

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Cardiovascular diseases develop in obese patients and it is estimated that 80% of essential hypertension develops as a consequence of excess body weight. We...

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Moving more and sitting less are critical for cardiovascular health from a young age and important for future heart health later in life. However, many...

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This project aims to identify the early signs of heart diseases and to better understand precise mechanisms using new imaging techniques.  Early...

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Improvements in computational technology are needed to address the significant community burden of cardiovascular disease. This future leader fellowship...

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common rhythm disturbance & its incidence continues to grow. In addition to a doubling in mortality associated with AF,...

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Valvular heart disease remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and in Australia, where it is particularly prevalent in indigenous...

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This project will advance our knowledge of the effectiveness of food-related policies by monitoring their impact in two Pacific countries on food availability,...

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Blockage of the lower limb arteries (peripheral artery disease; PAD) leads to severe leg pain, walking impairment, and a substantial risk of leg amputation and...

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the commonest sustained cardiac arrhythmia in humans and has been estimated to affect up to 33.5 million people in the United States...

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Hypertension (aka high blood pressure) is the primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It affects ~4.6 million Australians and in >90% of cases the...

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Heart failure (HF) is the commonest and most disabling form of chronic cardiovascular disease with up to half of patients having the specific problem of heart...

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These patches can perform a range of functions that are done by a ‘real’ organ, but their use is currently limited by the lack of a vascular (blood)...

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High blood pressure is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality globally. The benefits of blood pressure lowering in reducing cardiovascular...

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THE PROBLEM: The way people use their time (e.g., sleep, physical activity, sitting, social interactions) impacts on their cardiovascular health. The...

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Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.  Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) provide a unique vantage point into fundamental...

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Australia is undergoing a major demographic transition where immigrants are making up a large proportion of the population. Currently, 2% of Australian...

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Liver disease affects at least 20% of the Australian population. Liver transplantation (LT) is the only curative treatment option for patients with...

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Carnosine is a safe over-the-counter dipeptide commonly used to improve exercise performance. In patients with peripheral vascular disease, exercise improves...

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Cardiovascular disease is the earliest and strongest pathological marker for dementia, contributing to 30-50% of the risk. Oxidative stress and inflammation...

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Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of mortality and morbiditiy worldwide. Invasive treatment of coronary artery disease with percutaneous coronary...

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With a prevalence of over 23 million worldwide, heart failure is a global epidemic. Despite the huge demand for donor hearts, there are less than 100 implanted...

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The Prospective Athlete Heart Study will prospectively compare changes in heart mass in endurance athletes and non-athletes.  The heart adapts to...

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Heart attack is one of the leading causing of death and disability in Australia with over 20 Australians dying of heart attack each day. A heart attack is...

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While research has led to important advances in stroke recovery, stroke remains one of the leading causes of adult disability globally. To reduce the long-term...

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Australian government spends $7.7 billion annually to treat cardiovascular disease (CVD).  To identify the most cost-effective strategies from a myriad of...

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Atherosclerosis, thrombosis and their complications are leading causes of mortality and morbidity in Australia.  Dr Xiaowei Wang’s goal is to...

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Until recently it was thought that all of an individual's heart cells were present at birth and that changes during the lifespan in heart size and function...

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Patients do not present complaining of ‘heart failure’. Rather, they present with symptoms of exercise intolerance, fatigue or breathlessness. A...

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The major risk factors for post-stroke brain atrophy and cognitive decline are recurrent stroke, hypertension, and low rates of physical activity. Brain volume...

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Heart failure is a common progressive disease where the heart in unable to pump an adequate amount of blood. It is a common cause of death in ageing...

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Suboptimal diet is a leading risk factor for death and disability in Australia and globally. An unhealthy diet greatly increases the risk of heart attack and...

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High blood pressure (BP) and atrial fibrillation (AF) (a form of irregular heart rhythm) are two of the most important risk factors for stroke and other serious...

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Heart attack and secondary heart failure remain significant health burdens.  Stimulation of adenosine G protein-coupled receptors (ARs) located on heart...

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The risk of heart disease is defined by factors in early and later life. This project will help determine the role that childhood factors play in the...

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Stroke is a major public health concern and one in six people will have a stroke in their lifetime. Almost half of stroke survivors will have another stroke....

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mental illness are the leading causes of chronic illness and death globally.  They frequently co-occur in adulthood....

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Hypertension affects millions of Australians and is a leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Most people with hypertension have "essential...

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My research program combines 2 inter-related projects. First, I will evaluate the impact of high-dose influenza vaccination on the prevention of cardiovascular...

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Insufficient physical activity is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but motivating individuals to be active for health benefits has...

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Patients with pre-existing type 2 diabetes have significantly impaired clinical outcomes following a cardiovascular event (e.g. ischemia), in comparison to...

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Heart failure (HF) reflects the inability of the heart to provide sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body and affects at least 26 million people...

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New DNA mutations can be the cause of birth defects. The most common birth defect is congenital heart disease affecting at least 2,000 babies in Australia every...

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Strong evidence exists that the roots of heart disease begin to form in childhood. While premature birth or high blood pressure in childhood lead to a higher...

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD), mainly made up of heart attacks and stroke, is the leading cause of death in Australia and globally. Most CVD events can be...

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Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, emergencies of cardiac arrest and heart attack continue to be a major...

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Severe heart failure and cardiac arrest remain major causes of death in our community. Traditional treatment with drugs and standard resuscitation are...

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Despite significant research investment, most cardiovascular disease prevention research has had little impact on health policy or practice. The poor alignment...

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Someone has a stroke every 9 minutes in Australia. This burden is higher in regional and rural Australia where there are health disparities caused by...

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The overall aim of Dr Helen Trevena’s research is to better understand how supermarkets can use their power to increase the availability, affordability...

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Depression and anxiety commonly co-occur with coronary heart disease (CHD) - both before and after a cardiac event. This relationship is particularly...

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The research proposal includes two themes of (1) improving stroke prevention and (2) improving stroke management. I will be based at the Menzies Institute for...

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Physical inactivity and high sedentary time are major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Australian children; leading to childhood obesity and the...

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder. Patients with AF are at a 3-5 fold increased risk of developing a stroke. Stroke prevention...

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This Fellowship will enable me to develop an innovative program of work using information technologies for supporting people with heart failure. Heart failure...

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Rheumatic heart disease affects over 33 million people worldwide, predominantly in resource-poor tropical countries, leading to over 300,000 premature deaths...

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Heart failure (HF) is characterised by progressive weakening of the heart muscle, resulting in ineffective pumping of blood to the body. This is a serious...

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Atrial fibrillation (AF), a common electrical disturbance, or arrhythmia, of the heart, and heart failure (HF), a condition where the pumping ability of the...

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In Australia, over 500,000 cardiovascular hospitalisations occur annually, consuming 40% of the direct costs of cardiovascular care. Of concern, my research and...

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Acute kidney injury is defined as a ‘sudden loss in our kidney function’. Unfortunately, acute kidney injury develops in 30% of patients following...

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Many people worldwide experience major barriers to accessing high quality care and this is a major contributor to the avoidable disease burden from vascular...

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Stroke is the most frequent cause of permanent disability in adults and a major cause of death in Australia.  Opening blocked blood vessels to restore...

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Despite preventive strategies, heart attacks remain a major cause of death and disability. Fat around the heart arteries is rich in inflammatory molecules that...

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The proposed projects examine two contentious topics in cardiology, reperfusion injury and chest pain syndromes. The first project will focus on utilising...

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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects 1:200 of the general population. It is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in the young. However, no treatment exists...

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Cardiovascular disease, e.g., heart attack, is the leading cause of deaths in Australia and worldwide. Each year, more than 20 million people experience heart...

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Building upon a multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral team, we propose an extensive body of research on the relationships between residential environments and...

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Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer of Australians every year. Dr Nicola Smith's laboratory is interested in finding new therapeutic targets for...

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Cardiovascular disease is the major killer in Australia with congenital heart disease (CHD) affecting 1 in 100 live born babies. Although paediatric surgeries...

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High-throughput three-dimensional imaging is the future of cardiovascular tissue pathology: large volume, high-throughput imaging combined with full-service...

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Here, I aim to revolutionise cardiovascular devices to improve the outcome of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). This will involve the surface...

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Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death in the world, with an estimated 17.3 million deaths annually.  While significant progress has been...

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the largest single cause of death in Australia today. Research shows that patients with periodontal disease are almost twice as...

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Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite its recognised debilitating neurological deficits, the major cause of death after stroke...

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In Australia, one person develops diabetes every 5 minutes. Patients with Type 2 diabetes  (T2D) are six times more likely to develop heart disease than...

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Acute cardiovascular events include strokes, heart attacks and cardiac arrests. These time critical conditions affect one-in-five Australians, and are a major...

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Sudden cardiac death (SCD) occurs in approximately 1000 Australians under 50 years old annually. In the United States, the societal burden imposed in years of...

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With an overall aim of improving the understanding, survival and quality of life of patients with coronary artery disease, Professor Ravinay Bhindi’s...

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Women of reproductive age are a population group at high risk for obesity. This relates to specific hormonal conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, a...

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Some patients with severe heart failure require a mechanical heart pump known as left ventricular assist device to support them whilst waiting for a heart...

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Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common disorder in which the airway repeatedly closes throughout the night and has serious consequences for cardiovascular...

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Unhealthy diets and obesity are leading contributors to poor health in Australia. Improving population diets and addressing obesity requires a comprehensive...

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High blood pressure is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease, and salt reduction has been identified as one of the most cost-effective...

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Coronary heart disease remains a major concern globally and within Australia despite advances in health promotion and treatment options. A major challenge...

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Obesity is one of the greatest health challenges facing today’s adolescents, who now account for the largest global population segment (>25%). In...

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This application aims to build an international program centred on the theme of primary prevention of stroke. It will utilise national and international...

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Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Australia with sudden cardiac death its most common form.  The majority of sudden death occurs in...

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The project will develop a new consumer website about cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, including a risk calculator that creates a personalised decision...

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Each year around 130,000 Australians are admitted to an intensive care unit. The sickest patients in the ICU who have severe failure of the heart may require...

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In a healthy pregnancy, the mother’s blood vessels adapt and grow to enable sufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby. However, in the...

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Australians, particularly young Australians, drink sugary drinks in high quantities.  These beverages (soft drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks) are...

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In Australia over 2,000 babies are born with congenital heart disease (CHD) each year.  With the majority surviving cardiac surgery, the adult CHD...

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disturbance in Australia, and it is expected to affect more and more Australians in the future due to...

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The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity globally and in Australia is an urgent public health issue, due to its negative effects on health and its...

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Sitting for long periods of time each day increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. People with existing cardiovascular disease and those who have...

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A conservative estimate is that 11,000 socially isolated older Australians will suffer from a cardiovascular disease event this year. Social isolation has been...

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent cardiac arrhythmia with an estimated 33.5 million patients globally in 2010, and evidence suggests that these figures...

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Physical activity is the predominant modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and one for which early intervention and prevention can yield major...

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Stem cells hold great promise to repair/regenerate damaged tissue, particularly relevant to the failing heart. Surprisingly to date, more than ten international...

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The aim of this project is to undertake research and develop tangible resources to enhance the health of individuals with or at risk of heart disease and...

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There are now more than 65,000 Australians living with congenital heart disease (CHD). Those with complex CHD are at increased risk of neurodevelopmental...

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High blood pressure causes early death from stroke and heart disease; the biggest killers in Australia. Most Australian adults and children consume too much...

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Diet-related chronic diseases account for the majority of disease and death globally and overwhelm health budgets. A major focus of my research to date has been...

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Millions of people worldwide do not have access to quality health care for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and control due to health workforce...

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Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) affects 30 million people worldwide and is responsible for the loss of over 350,000 lives per year with over 100,000 of these...

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Heart disease is the main cause of death in the Indigenous Australian population, with those living in very remote areas at the highest risk. The diet of the...

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Improved cardiovascular health can make a critical contribution to reducing the difference in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians....

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My project aims to break down blood clots using targeted antibody-drug fusions. Thrombosis, the formation of blood clots within a vessel, is a leading cause of...

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Aortic aneurysms are relatively common cardiovascular disorders, but are severely understudied. They are characterised by weakening or bulging of the aorta that...

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Associate Professor Mark Parsons has made two recent advances that could bring about a global transformation in acute stroke care. The first is the use of...

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Myocardial infarction (MI) is the most frequent single cause of death. It is typically caused by rupture of atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries and...

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Patients with suspected angina are commonly referred by cardiologists to undergo investigations to determine the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and...

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This project aims to improve the use of Australian absolute risk guidelines for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention by increasing: 1) GPs' use of CVD...

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Children undergoing heart surgery require a cardiopulmonary bypass. This is a technique which takes over the work of heart and lungs, so that the surgeon can...

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Acute chest pain is one of the commonest causes of presentation to Emergency Departments (EDs) nationally and worldwide. The majority (>75%) of these...

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart rhythm disorder, with increasing prevalence in the elderly. It is a leading cause of stroke and heart failure in the...

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This research examines the role of eating patterns in relation to overall diet quality and cardiovascular health. This research is important because so few...

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Atherosclerosis is the harmful build-up of cholesterol plaques in arteries which leads to coronary artery disease (CAD), the single leading cause of death in...

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Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia. Despite decades of research into cardiac disease we are still not capable of regenerating/replacing...

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Small changes to the food environment have potential to considerably reduce CVD risks at the population level. For example, simple consumer behaviour strategies...

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With no disease-modifying therapies for the most common forms of dementia, over 1 million Australians are expected to be living with dementia by the year 2056,...

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Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a class of medications that reduce blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes. Two SGLT2 inhibitors...

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High blood pressure is the most significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and kidney failure. Around 6...

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