Browse Research Staff by Research Area Dr Yati Boutcher     School of Medical Sciences - Exercise Physiology Program Statement of Interests: Exercise and cardiovascular function, and in particular the role of acute and chronic exercise on blood volume expansion and vasodilatory capacity as well as vein compliance in normal healthy and normotensive individuals with family history of hypertension. The role of exercise in the prevention of hypertension is important to investigate as normotensive individuals with family history of hypertension already have limited vasodilatory capacity (high peripheral resistance) compared to normotensives without a family history of hypertension. More... Associate Professor Pascal Carrive     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Anatomy Statement of Interests: My main research interests are in the field of neuroscience and in the neural substrate of emotions. More specifically, my research investigates the neural network responsible for the autonomic, particularly cardiovascular and thermogenic changes associated with psychological stress (anxiety, fear). More... Professor David Davies     School of Medical Sciences Statement of Interests: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and the pathology of small vessel vasculitis. The pathogenesis of proteinuria The pathology and pathogenesis of renal medullary necrosis. Investigations into the efficiency and efficacy of pathology testing in modern medical practice. Quality assurance in anatomical pathology including use of virtual microscopy and development of methods for assessment of diagnositc performance. More... Dr Donna Dinnes     Centre for Vascular Research Statement of Interests: - More... Dr Johan Duflou     National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre Statement of Interests: Major current research activity is in the field sudden death due to cardiac causes in young adults, in collaboration with clinicians and researchers throughout Australia and New Zealand. Other areas of research interest include aviation pathology, illicit drug deaths, and suicide. More... Dr Jonathan Erlich     Prince of Wales Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: Areas of interest include; renal disease and it vascular consequences; the interaction of the tissue factor thrombin protease coagulation cascade and inflammation and vascular remodelling. In particular models of renal ischaemia reperfusion injury, cardiac fibrosis, renal fibrosis have been examined. Our current main focus has been on the role of the protease activated receptors in renal reperfusion injury, their potential role in organ preservation and post transplant renal dysfunction. More... Dr Mahnaz Fanaian     Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity Statement of Interests: There is considerable evidence for the effectiveness of interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease at the population and individual levels. Given the contribution of cardiovascular disease to the burden of disease, the cost of inadequate prevention is high.. Large, population-based studies in China, Finland and USA have recently demonstrated the feasibility of preventing, or delaying, the onset of diabetes in overweight subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). The studies suggest that even moderate reduction in weight and only half an hour of walking each day reduced the incidence of diabetes by more than one half. More... Dr Diane Fatkin     St Vincent's Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: The principal focus of our research is identification of disease-causing genes and elucidation of pathogenetic mechanisms in inherited disorders of the heart's contraction and rhythm. Our clinical studies focus on gene discovery studies in families with dilated cardiomyopathy and/or atrial fibrillation. The functional consequences of DNA variants identified in families are evaluated using in vitro techniques as well as in mouse and zebrafish models. More... Professor John French     South Western Sydney Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: John’s major clinical research focus has been in the acute coronary syndromes, particularly on the assessment of myocardial reperfusion assessed by infarct-related artery blood flow, ST recovery, left ventricular function, and late clinical outcomes in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction. He has been an active researcher having been an investigator and co-investigator in numerous randomised controlled trials and clinical trials and was on the writing committee of the HERO-2 trial. John was on the steering committee for the SHOCK, OAT and HERO-2 trials and he was the chair of the myocardial infarction adjudication committee and ECG sub-study for HERO-2. As part of a continuing interest in molecular medicine John has established the cardiac genetics clinics with the genetics department, and is a member of TRAGADY. John has co-authored >120 peer-reviewed publications and six book chapters. He has supervised a number of MD and MHSc postgraduate students and has been invited speaker at recent American College and American Heart Association meetings. More... Dr Susan Furber     School of Public Health and Community Medicine Statement of Interests: Recent studies include the use of a pedometer to increase physical activity in people with heart disease and also for those with type 2 diabetes; the impact of a soup kitchen on the lives of disadvantaged people; and the health impact assessment of local council environmental management plans. More... Professor Mark Harris     Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity Statement of Interests: Major research interests include:- 1. Prevention and management chronic diseases especially diabetes cardiovascular disease, in primary care. 2. Health inequalities research including interventions to improve the health status of disadvantaged groups including the unemployed, refugees (asylum seekers) and Aboriginal people. More... Mr Chris Hayward     St Vincent's Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: Despite similar levels of LV dysfunction, patients with heart failure vary in their ability to function. This is yet to be adequately explained and may relate to how the heart and arterial system interact (ventriculovascular coupling). Sometimes the best treatements involve mechanical devices, although again the interaction with the arterial system is significant. As part of the Heart Failure & Transplant Unit, these, and other areas, are investigated. More... Mr Jim Iliopoulos     Prince of Wales Clinical School Statement of Interests: Cardiovascular and thoracic surgery Trauma Surgery Biomedical Engineering More... Dr Andrew Jabbour     St Vincent's Clinical School Statement of Interests: In the field of cardiovascular science, the effects of recombinant human neuregulin-1 is under current research. Its safety and efficacy in humans with stable chronic heart failure, and well as its effects on cold storage preservation of the heart in an isolated working rat heart model. Functional imaging of the myocardium is also being explored with MRI/CT. More... Professor Wendy Jessup     Centre for Vascular Research Statement of Interests: Our major research objective is to develop knowledge of the mechanism, nature and impact of sterol accumulation in human disease, with particular emphasis on the generation and biology of the macrophage foam cell in atherosclerosis. We have ongoing interests in the processes which mediate lipid accumulation by macrophages, including lipoprotein modifications that promote uptake of lipid (such as oxidation), and processes by which macrophages export cholesterol, and by which atherosclerosis may be reversed. Knowledge gained from these studies addresses fundamental issues of cholesterol traffic within the macrophage foam cell. Extensions of these studies into the areas of inflammation and leucocyte activation will allow us to investigate how cholesterol and inflammation are linked. More... Dr Craig Juergens     South Western Sydney Clinical School Statement of Interests: In the field of Cardiology the subspeciality of percutaneous coronary intervention is of particular interest. Acute coronary syndromes and their management are also of interest and has been involved in a number of worldwide multicentre trails. More... Dr Mary Kavurma     Centre for Vascular Research Statement of Interests: the cellular changes in the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease are of particular interest, especially in context with TRAIL or TNF ligand/receptor signalling pathways More... Professor Levon Khachigian     Centre for Vascular Research Statement of Interests: Cardiovascular disease and cancer remain the most prevalent causes of morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of these and a myriad of related diseases is underpinned by molecular and cellular changes in our blood vessels. Professor Levon Khachigian’s research is uncovering key networks of transcriptional control and inducible gene-regulatory circuits that lead to vascular disease. The group is also developing new experimental drugs that have the potential to treat a diverse range of health problems, from cancer and inflammation through to eye and heart disease. Professor Khachigian’s research program has two major objectives: 1. To better understand how harmful genes are controlled in vascular cells. This arm investigates signaling and transcriptional mechanisms of pro-inflammatory cytokine-dependent gene expression, post-translational mechanisms that modify protein behavior, proteinase control, the isolation and characterization of new genes induced or repressed by vascular cell injury, and the molecular control of vascular cell migration and proliferation. The group has considerable expertise in animal models of neointima formation, angiogenesis, tumor growth, myocardial ischemia, and inflammation. 2. To develop new vascular therapeutic agents. The lab is harnessing the outcomes of its fundamental research by pioneering the development of novel “anti-gene-” and “gene-therapeutic” strategies targeting key regulatory genes in a myriad of vascular disorders. This involves strategic collaborations with a range of clinical specialists, academics and drug development consultants. -------> PhD and Hons projects are available in both these research streams in Khachigian Lab in 2010. If you’re interested, please email l.khachigian@unsw.edu.au asap, sending your CV. More... Dr Edwin Kirk     School of Women's and Children's Health Statement of Interests: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is largely genetic in origin. Mapping and candidate gene studies in collaboration with the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Sydney University have revealed a role for TBX20 in rare familial forms of CHD and identified 13 QTL influencing aspects of atrial septal morphology. The psychological impact of prenatal diagnosis of CHD is another area of interest. Other research interests include inherited metabolic disease, chromosomal abnormalities and congenital hypothyroidism, with a collaboration with the Hong Kong Genetic Neonatal Screening Program commencing in 2008. More... Dr Lionel Lourenco-Dias     Centre for Vascular Research Statement of Interests: Dr Lionel Lourenço-Dias is a molecular biologist with specific interests in vascular biology. More... Emeritus Scientia Professor Eugenie Lumbers     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Physiology Statement of Interests: fetal origins of adult disease, hypertension , development of control of the circulation, renin-angiotensin system, effects on the autonomic control of the circulation, renal development and function, placental function and the placental and renal prorenin/renin systems, preterm labour, programming for renal and cardiovascular disease More... Dr Sean O'Neill     South Western Sydney Clinical School Statement of Interests: Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus and their associated risk of cardiovascular disease. Collaborative work with University College London examines the role of traditional cardiac risk factors, novel autoantibodies and the effects of inflammation in such patients. More... Dr Philip Peake     Prince of Wales Clinical School Statement of Interests: Adiponectin is an adipocyte specific hormone with insulin sensitising, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic properties. Research concerns its behaviour in renal and other diseases, its physiochemical structure, and its interactions with other molecules, including those of the complement system. More... Dr Nicholas Proschogo     Centre for Vascular Research Statement of Interests: The analysis of lipids is an exciting, but very complex problem involving the interaction of many distinct species. The advent of mass spectrometry as an analytical tool to analyse variations amongst these lipid species provides insight into how changes to the proteins present in cells affects the lipidome. The development of these mass spectrometry techniques are still in their infancy and provide much promise to providing more information related to cardiovascular disease. More... Dr Shaun Sandow     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Pharmacology Statement of Interests: Working with colleagues in Australia, Canada, Britain, the US and Denmark, our studies aim to determine some of the ways that cells in arteries communicate with one another and specifically, at how cells control the balance between the way that arteries narrow (constrict) and enlarge (dilate). This balance is referred to as vascular tone and is the main determinant of blood pressure and thus cardiovascular disease. Coordination of vascular tone is dependent on signals passing through junctions within and between the cellular layers in arteries. Our studies correlate anatomy and function, to identify the fundamental pathways that underlie blood vessel function. More... Associate Professor Leon Simons     St Vincent's Clinical School Statement of Interests: http://www.dubbostudy.org/ This dept is researching lipid therapies to prevent cardiovascular disease. It is also researching healthy ageing in the Dubbo cohort. More... Dr Shane Thomas     Centre for Vascular Research Statement of Interests: The Redox Cell Signalling Laboratory focuses on two major research areas: More... Dr Liza Thomas     South Western Sydney Clinical School Statement of Interests: More... Dr James Tu     Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute Statement of Interests: Immunotherapy and biomarker for the brain blood vessel abnormalities and stem cell therapy for the spinal cord injury are current research interest. More... Dr Sanjyot Vagholkar     School of Public Health and Community Medicine Statement of Interests: Dr Vagholkar is a Conjoint Lecturer in the SPHCM. She works in the field of general practice research with a focus on prevention and management of chronic disease. She is currently enrolled in a PhD which is exploring the topic of cardiovascular absolute risk assessment and the impact its use has on management of CV risk factors, in particular prescribing of medications for hypertension and lipids. More... Dr Jamie Vandenberg     St Vincent's Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: The rhythm of the heart beat is controlled by electrical signals carried by voltage-gated ion channels. Dysfunction of cardiac ion channels can result in arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. There are three main research themes in my laboratory. 1. Structure-function relationships in voltage-gated ion channels with a particular emphasis on hERG K+ channels. 2. The molecular basis of drug binding to hERG potassium channels and drug-induced cardiac arrhythmias. 3. Understanding genotype-phenotype relationships in inherited arrhythmia syndromes. For more details see: http://www.victorchang.edu.au/research/ProfJamieVandenberg.cfm?cid=75 More... Professor Lexin Wang     Rural Clinical School - Greater Murray Division - Wagga Wagga Campus Statement of Interests: In the field of experimental and clinical cardiology, the mechanism and management of atrial fibrillation and heart failure secondary to coronary artery disease are of particular interest. The other interests are pharmacological and surgical treatment of congenital long QT syndrome, a major cause for cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death in children. More... Ms Jenny Wong     Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute Statement of Interests: More... Dr John Worthington     South Western Sydney Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: In the field of neurology with an emphasis on stroke from a preventative, acute care and health services perspective. Currently involved in two collaborations to characterise care and outcomes after transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke in Australia using administrative data sets and clinical audits (PRISM and SWS-TIA). Involved in a further collaboration to deliver and assess an intervention to prevent atrial fibrillation (AF) related stroke in a primary health care setting (DESPATCH). More... Need to update your profile? Click here to login with your Staff ID, prefixed by a lower case "s" (eg s1234567), and UniPass to update your profile. If you have any problems please send an email to .

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