Australia’s visionary cardiovascular and stroke researchers were honoured last night at the annual Australian Cardiovascular Alliance (ACvA) Excellence in Cardiovascular Research Awards.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), encompassing heart, stroke, and vascular conditions, stand as the primary contributors to global mortality. In Australia, one in every five deaths is attributed to CVD.
Now in their fourth year, the awards were set up to acknowledge and celebrate leadership, collaboration and innovation within the sector. They also showcase the breadth and diversity across the cardiovascular and stroke research spectrum.
The Honourable Ged Kearney MP, Assistant Minister for Health & Aged Care introduced the Awards saying, “You are all making a difference. The future is so promising thanks to the brilliant discoveries being made by Australian researchers.”
The 2024 Game Changer Award, which recognises innovative breakthroughs and the researchers who make them happen, was won by Professor John Fraser AO and Critical Care Research Group, headquartered at The Prince Charles Hospital.
The Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) has pioneered a transformative approach to heart transplantation that has already saved hundreds of lives. CCRG led the preclinical trials and clinical implementation of Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion (HOPE), a technique that can extend donor heart preservation from four to over 12 hours. This game-changing technology has revolutionised the practice of heart transplantation by increasing organ availability globally.
The Mentor Award recognises the crucial contribution that guidance, support, and knowledge-sharing play in nurturing the next generation of researchers, fostering a positive culture and constructing a sustainable research sector. This year’s Mentor award recipient was Professor Mark Cooper AO from Monash University.
Professor Cooper AO, a world-leading researcher in diabetes and its complications, has been inspiring the next generation of researchers over the past three decades. His transformative approach to mentorship extends far beyond traditional academic guidance. Mentees say that Professor Cooper’s dedication and accessibility characterise his support and mentorship. He encourages his students and mentees to ask critical questions, push boundaries and reimagine the intersection of clinical practice and scientific discovery.
The ACvA Translation award recognises the outstanding achievements of researchers who have translated observations from the laboratory or unmet needs seen in the clinic into interventions that have real-life impact for patients. The winner of the 2024 Translation Award was Professor Nathan Palpant and team – Professor Glenn King, Dr Natalie Saez, Professor Robert Graham, and Professor Peter Macdonald – for their outstanding collaborative work in developing a drug candidate derived from the K’gari funnel-web spider venom to reduce tissue damage following heart attack and stroke, addressing a global unmet need.
This innovation has the potential to save thousands of lives as well as improve the preservation of donor hearts for transplantation. The breakthrough emerged from a collaborative effort between the University of Queensland’s Institute of Molecular Bioscience and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.
The winners were chosen from a shortlist of 9 Finalists from across the country who represent the diversity within the cardiovascular and stroke research sector including work on Rheumatic Heart Disease, gut microbes which can reduce blood pressure, the link between heart damage and kidney disease and innovation in precision medicine.
Rob Tassie ACvA CEO, congratulated all researchers, saying, “We are proud to recognise and celebrate the groundbreaking research and innovative solutions in our sector that are improving the health outcomes available for all Australians and are a vital part of sustaining our reputation for world-class research.”
You can read about all of the 2024 Finalists HERE.