Congenital aortic stenosis is a life-long condition caused by a narrowing of the aortic valve. It accounts for 2-6% of congenital heart disease, and if left untreated, results in heart failure and death. While several surgical and non-surgical interventions are available, the ideal treatment for this condition is unclear. My research aims to evaluate outcomes of aortic valve repair and compare it to other techniques.
In Vivo Studies On Ventriculo-vascular Coupling And The Role Of Aortic Pressure Wave Morphology On Coronary Blood Flow
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$137,700.00
Summary
Heart disease is a leading cause of death and disability in Australia. Conditions resulting in reduced blood flow to the heart are particularly common and dangerous. Despite significant progress, we still do not understand exactly how changes in heart function and the aorta (the major artery arising from the heart) affect blood flow to the heart. This study will utilise sophisticated new techniques to look at the interactions between heart function, pressure in the aorta and coronary blood flow
Weight And Risk Factor Management And Assessment Of Socioeconomic Status To Assess Impact On AF Progression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$86,117.00
Summary
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. This disease can begin with short episodes but over time become more long-standing. Risk factors such as obesity have been linked to the burden and progression of the disease. Dedicated clinics focusing on education and management of these risk factors have been shown to reduce patients symptoms and burden of AF. We aim to evaluate these clinics results in halting the progression of AF.
Long-term Surgical And Socioeconomic Outcomes Following Aortopulmonary Septal Defect Repair In Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$89,197.00
Summary
About 2% of heart defects are due to communication between the 2 main arteries exiting the heart (truncus arteriosus and aortopulmonary window). If untreated, up to 30% of children die in the first year of life. With surgery many patients are now surviving into adulthood. The long-term outcomes are unknown. This study will review all patients with this defect across Australian and New Zealand. Results from this study will allow us to best manage these patients in the short and long-term.
National Database Of Patients With Atrioventicular Septal Defects
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$45,341.00
Summary
Atrioventricular septal defects are a group of childhood heart diseases affecting all four chambers of the heart and two of the valves. These children do not normally survive past 30 years without surgery. Surgery offers a chance at life, but in the long term up to a quarter of children need further surgery. We are developing an Australian database to determine how best to reduce the risk of these complications, the burden on these children and the cost to society.
Microvascular Function And Outcome In Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$79,514.00
Summary
Damage to the small vessels of the heart is a hallmark of heart attacks. Furthermore, small vessel dysfunction (MVD) is associated with a worse prognosis even in the presence of an unblocked major coronary artery following a heart attack. Using novel invasive assessments, we aim to analyse the prevalence and clinical predictors of MVD, assess the impact of MVD on short and long-term outcome after heart attack and address the impact of new treatments on MVD and heart muscle recovery.
Non-Inasive Wave Intensity Analysis In Paediatric Congenital Heart Disease: A Novel Application Of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$136,861.00
Summary
Alterations in heart pumping function, or blood vessel structure, can limit the supply of blood and oxygen to the body. Wave Intensity Analysis (WIA) is a new way of characterising these interactions with great precision. Up until now, WIA has been performed in adult and animal studies using mainly invasive techniques. This project will develop a non-invasive method for WIA using cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging, to gain new insights into congenital heart disease in children.
Smartphone Based Secondary Prevention Program For Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes: A Randomised Control Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$122,714.00
Summary
Patients at the highest risk of premature death, heart attacks and re-hospitalization are those with known coronary heart disease. Secondary prevention strategies and cardiac rehabilitation are under-utilised in clinical practice. We aim to close this treatment gap by establishing the role of a smartphone based secondary prevention program in patients who have experienced a heart attack. Our innovative model of care may empower patients to optimise their cardiac health.
Platelet Derived Growth Factor Mediated Activation And Rejuvenation Of Endogenous Cardiac Stem Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$102,345.00
Summary
The burden of heart failure is underpinned by the heart’s limited capacity for self-repair after injury. Recent evidence shows that PDGF can improve heart function by activating and rejuvenating resident heart stem cells. This project will build on over a decade of preliminary work in mice, validating our results in a preclinical large animal model. Outcomes of this project include expedited progression of this promising therapy where thousands of heart failure patients could one-day benefit.
Do Retinal Microvascular Signs Predict Ischaemic Heart Disease Subtype? The Australian Heart Eye Study (AHES)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$65,532.00
Summary
Narrowing of the large vessels of the heart and abnormal function of the small vessels are both causes of coronary heart disease and chest pain.There are few non-invasive investigations to help differentiate between large and small vessel disease and assess one’s risk of developing disease in the future.The study uses retinal photography and coronary angiography to assess whether changes in the structure of the blood vessels of the eye may be used to identify the type of coronary heart disease a ....Narrowing of the large vessels of the heart and abnormal function of the small vessels are both causes of coronary heart disease and chest pain.There are few non-invasive investigations to help differentiate between large and small vessel disease and assess one’s risk of developing disease in the future.The study uses retinal photography and coronary angiography to assess whether changes in the structure of the blood vessels of the eye may be used to identify the type of coronary heart disease as well as the risk of future cardiac events.Read moreRead less