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NSW Cardiovascular Research Network

Encouraging cardiovascular research excellence in NSW

The Heart Foundation has facilitated the establishment of the network with the support of the NSW Department of Health. A ground-breaking collaboration bringing together for the first time the state’s most eminent cardiovascular researchers.

Combining expertise in the fields of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease, the CVRN promises to deliver results that will improve health outcomes for patients and reduce the financial burden of cardiovascular disease on our health system.

Despite being the most populous state in the country, NSW is consistently under-represented in the number of research grants that are awarded in the cardiovascular research area.

CVRN comprises 14 umbrella member organisations and over 50 affiliated research institutions who actively participate in the network with the purpose of encouraging collaboration and commitment to cardiovascular research and supporting the research workforce in NSW.

More researchers are joining as they become aware of the network, its potential and power through leverage and interaction.

How to get involved

Download an application form to become a member
For more information, please contact us at cvrn@heartfoundation.org.au

New CVRN Executive Committee

We had an incredibly impressive response to our call to join the new CVRN Executive from a wide range of CVRN members, in particular from our EMCR cohort. This gave the Review Panel, composed of members of our outgoing Management Committee, a very difficult task. In deciding the composition of the Executive Committee, the Review Panel had to balance the expertise and experience of applicants with the requirements of the Executive Committee to be representative and inclusive of our network members.

We are delighted to announce the members of our new Executive Committee including:

Professor Andrew Boyle - Hunter Medical Research Institute
Professor Bob Graham - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
A/Prof Sally Inglis - University of Technology Sydney
Professor Kazuaki Negishi - University of Sydney
Professor Jamie Vandenburg - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
A/Prof Aaron Sverdlov - University of Newcastle
Dr Monique Francois - University of Wollongong
Dr Kathy Chapman - Heart Foundation

The Executive Committee represents a new era for CVRN and the Review Panel was very confident that the composition of the Committee was not only representative and inclusive of our Network but that each of the members would bring a complementary and unique set of skills, expertise and experience to this Committee and the network as a whole.

We would like to welcome the new Committee and look forward to their leadership in driving the strategic direction of the NSW CVRN for the benefit of the Network.

The first task of the Executive Committee will be to develop a Networking Event anticipated for April 2021 which will involve a seminar on COVID and the Heart. We look forward to providing you with more details soon.

For more information

cvrn@heartfoundation.org.au or Sally McNeill, NSW CVRN Manager sally.mcneill@heartfoundation.org.au

New CVRN Rising Stars Sub-Committee

The Rising Stars Sub-Committee is a new CVRN Committee representing the interests of the EMCRs of the CVRN.

Sitting under the Executive Committee, the new Rising Stars Sub-Committee will guide the program of EMCR targeted capability and capacity building activities and provide advice to the Executive on these initiatives and any other EMCR related issues.

The recent call to join the Committee was well subscribed and it was a difficult decision for the review committee to finalise the composition of the committee ensuring members were representative of our Umbrella Organisations and Network members, with research interests across the breadth of cardiovascular research and the translational pathway.

We are very pleased to announce the 15-member strong Rising Stars Sub-Committee, Co-Chaired by Prof Jamie Vandenberg (CVRN Executive Committee) and Dr Zoe Clayton. The new committee is a great representation of career stages, research areas, skills and expertise of our EMCR members.

Alice Gibson - University of Sydney, Menzies Centre
Amanda Henry - University of NSW, Women's and Children’s Health
Angelo Sabag - Western Sydney University, NICM Health Research Inst
Arnold Ju - University of Sydney /Heart Reserch Inst., Biomed Engineering
Audrey Adji - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Inst., Mechanical Circulatory Support Lab
Hayley Croft - University of Newcastle, Biomed Sci & Pharmacy
Isabella Tan - Macquarie University, Medicine, Health and Human Science
Jaesung Choi - Centenary Institute / UTS, Cardiovascular and Stroke Program
Jamie Vandenberg - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Inst., Cardiac Electrophysiology
Jessica Orchard - Centenary Institute, Atrial Fibrillation Screening Group
Lucy Murtha - University of Newcastle, Medicine and Public Health
Tu Nguyen - University of Sydney, Westmead Applied Research Centre
Wenbo Peng - University of Technology Sydney, Public Health
Xia Wang - The George Institute, Neurological program
Zoe Clayton - University of Sydney, Westmead Institute for Medical Research

2021 Professional Development Awards Announced

The CVRN 2021 Professional Development Awards provide funding of up to $2000 per applicant to assist our EMCRs with costs to attend a research conference or participate in a professional development or training courses.

Aimed at supporting early and mid-career researchers working in the field of cardiovascular disease and related conditions, the NSW CVRN Professional Development Awards will enable researchers to disseminate their findings to the wider research community, enhance their professional skills and build professional networks.

We would like to congratulate 19 of our EMCR cohort who were successful in receiving a 2021 CVRN Professional Development Award. These CVRN members will use this funding to attend and present at national and international CVD research conferences or attend professional development courses including Leadership and Communication courses and professional training courses including statistical analysis, genetic epidemiology and introduction to ‘omics.

Please see the list of successful recipients below:

Angelo Sabag - Western Sydney University
Benjamin Hsu - University of NSW
Celine Santiago - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
Chrishan Nalliah - Macquarie University
Daniel Beard - University of Newcastle
Dhanya Ravindran - Westmead Institute for Medical Research
Isabella Tan - Macquarie University
Jeanette Villanueva - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
Jessica Maclean - Heart Research Institute
Jessica Orchard - Centenary Institute
Jocelyne Mulangala - Centenary Institute
Kirsten Coupland - University of Newcastle
Liliana Laranjo -University of Sydney
Md Hasnain - University of Newcastle
Monique Bax - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
Peter Choi - Centenary Institute
Sonali Gnanenthiran - George Institute for Global Health
Stephanie Partridge - University of Sydney
Tu Nguyen - Westmead Applied Research Centre

Grants and awards

The NSW CVRN Carer’s Travel Award is open to early and mid-career cardiovascular researchers in NSW who have had a poster presentation or abstract accepted for a national or international scientific meeting or conference, and who are the primary caregiver of one or more children under the age of 16 years.

The purpose of the award is to assist the recipient with domestic or international travel to conferences or meetings by contributing to costs associated with the care of their child/ren while they attend the event. The funds can be used in whatever way is deemed most suitable to the recipient’s personal circumstances e.g. to fund an additional carer to attend the conference or fund additional childcare whilst the recipient is away.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

Be no more than 10 years post PhD;
Be the primary caregiver of one or more children under the age of 16 years;
Hold a position at a current financial NSW CVRN Member Organisation;
Have a poster or oral abstract accepted, which is relevant to the field of cardiovascular disease and/or related conditions, for a national or international conference scheduled from June to December 2019 for which they are applying for funding.

Value

Up to $7,000

How to apply

Funding currently not available.

In response to restrictions on travel imposed by COVID-19, the annual NSW Cardio Vascular Research Network (CVRN) Travel Awards were replaced this year by the NSW CVRN 2020 Professional Development Awards.

Still aimed at supporting early and mid-career researchers working in the field of cardiovascular disease and related conditions, these awards will enable researchers to disseminate their findings to the wider research community, enhance their professional skills and build professional networks. Funding of up to $2000 was available per applicant to assist with costs associated with attendance of research conferences (often virtually) and participation in professional development or training courses.

We would like to congratulate 14 of our EMCRs who were successful in receiving a Professional Development Award. These CVRN EMCRs will use this funding to attend national and international CVR conferences and attend professional development courses including Media and Communication, Project Management and Leadership courses and professional training courses including Coding, Sampling Design and Analysis courses.

Please see the list of successful recipients below:

Dr Jessica Maclean Heart Research Institute
Dr Peter Su Heart Research Institute / University of Technology, Sydney
Dr Isabella Tan Macquarie University
Dr Xia Wang The George Institute
Dr Karice Hyun University of Sydney
Dr Stephanie Partridge University of Sydney
Dr Ling Zhang University of Sydney
Dr Zoe Clayton University of Sydney / Westmead Institute for Medical Research
Dr Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina University of NSW
Dr Luna Xu University of NSW
Dr Michael Falster University of NSW
Dr Kwok Leung Ong University of NSW
Dr Audrey Adji Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
Dr Jim Pouliopoulos Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute

More information

Contact the NSW CVRN:
Email: cvrn@heartfoundation.org.au
Ph: 02 92192494

Find out more about the Ministerial Awards for Cardiovascular Research

The NSW Cardiovascular Research Network (CVRN) piloted a Pre-Application Peer Review process in November 2019 in conjunction with the NSW Health’s $150 million Cardiovascular Research Capacity Building Program.

The need:

Previous grant round identified opportunities for improvement on general communication/grant writing skills, research translation planning, and career/skill development.

The aim:

To improve the quality of applications by providing constructive feedback on draft grant proposals.

The structure for the program was developed in conjunction with the NSW Office for Health and Medical Research (OHMR) and the Cardiovascular Disease Advisory Sub-Group.

The structure:

Focusing on two of the current CVD funding schemes, the Senior Researcher Grants and the Early to Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Grants:

Senior Researcher Grant applicants submitted a draft application which was reviewed by multiple reviewers. Written feedback was provided to applicants for them to amend their proposals prior to submitting to NSW Health. Twelve Senior Researchers participated in the peer review process.
EMCR Grant applicants were invited to attend a one-day workshop in Sydney. The workshop included:

Cardiovascular Research Capacity Grants - by Dr Stephanie Blows, OHMR

Knowledge translation as a pathway to impact - by Luciano Melo, The Sax Institute

Writing for Humans - by Alex Gedye from The Happiness Concierge

Two rounds of ‘speed dating’ sessions

Applicants received verbal feedback on their application from up to four reviewers.

Over Fifty EMCRs participated in the workshop.

Overall, the pilot program was a success, with feedback received following the EMCR workshop in particularly being extremely positive.

Top forum for top researchers

CVRN’s member institutions are acutely aware of the need to foster and support our early and mid-career researchers (ECRs/MCRs) in the related disciplines of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and renal disease, particularly in the highly competitive and difficult world of survival through research grants.

We have therefore created a unique new interdisciplinary and cross-institutional forum where ECRs and MCRs can meet and develop mutually beneficial collaborations, share information and develop relationships which otherwise may be inaccessible to them.

Download an application form to become a member (DOCX)

If you are an ECR or MCR of one of our member organisations and want to get involved, please contact us at cvrn@heartfoundation.org.au

There is a scarcity of gender-specific data on women. Also, evidence that both treatment and outcomes are poorer for women with heart disease than they are for men is increasing

In 2015 The Hon. Pru Goward, then Minister for Medical Research announced the launch of the inaugural Women and Heart Disease Grant. The grant was awarded for the first time in 2016, thanks to funding from the Maple-Brown Family Trust. This was leveraged through the Women and Heart Disease Program.

The grant’s aim was to build our databank of knowledge while increasing specialised research capacity in this area. With increased knowledge and research capacity, our understanding, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for women with heart disease can improve.

Past recipients

2017 Professor Emily Banks

Project title: Large-Scale linked and clinical data to quantify and address gender-based variation in cardiovascular disease risk factors, incidence, care and outcomes.

For this study, a multidisciplinary team will draw on seven data sources. These include national surveys, large-scale linked data and detailed clinical datasets. It will quantify outcomes in, and learn relative and absolute differences between, women and men. Including for:

CVD risk factors and prevention of future heart attacks and strokes
CVD hospital admissions and deaths from different types of CVD. This includes heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and peripheral vascular disease
The receipt of CVD procedures in hospital following an acute CVD event. This includes secondary preventative measures
Physical disability, psychological distress and quality of life after a CVD event.

Preliminary data proves feasibility and stark disparities in care and outcomes. When the project is complete, Australia will have integrated data on gender disparity for many CVD types across the CVD journey. This data will support targeted intervention to improve prevention, care and outcomes for CVD in women.

2016 Prof Elizabeth Sullivan

Project title: NSW longitudinal study of first-time mothers with heart disease and their babies.
While it’s recognised that the extra workload on the heart during pregnancy can result in complications, sometimes catastrophic, the long-term impact on surviving women is poorly understood.

This study of first-time mothers with heart disease and their babies will examine the long-term impact of pregnancy on cardiac disease progression of over 800 women. The study examined mothers who were giving birth in 2017.
This is the first project of its kind conducted worldwide. It will establish a national research resource that provides an evidence base to governments, clinicians, advocacy groups and women of reproductive age with heart disease. The project takes a holistic view of health. By using a combination of surveys and data linkage, the study will examine various factors throughout women’s lifespans. These include:

Socio-demographic factors
Risk factors and health behaviours
Use of health services
Clinical management and outcomes, including mortality.

The study draws on a strong network of researchers and clinicians straddling cardiac, obstetric, maternal-foetal medicine and Aboriginal health. The overarching aim is to improve outcomes for the increasing number of women with heart disease who become pregnant.

The 45 and Up Study, managed by the Sax Institute, is one of the largest ongoing cohort studies of healthy ageing in Australian and the world.

The 45 & Up Study Research Opportunity is an exciting new initiative, formed through a partnership with the Heart Foundation, Sax Institute, and the NSW CVRN. It provides early to mid-career researchers (EMCRs) of the CVRN, access to the unique 45 and Up Study survey data along with other key datasets. The aim of this opportunity is to support short-term projects, led by EMCRs, that address knowledge gaps in cardiovascular disease research in NSW, which align with state and/or Heart Foundation research priorities.

Eighteen highly competitive applications were received for this initiative and were reviewed by a panel consisting of members of the Sax Institute, CVRN, Heart Foundation and an independent reviewer. The review panel commended all applicants on the quality and diversity of the projects, and their potential to generate high-impact outputs with significant clinical and public health benefits.

Unfortunately, only five projects were able to be supported. However, given the success and interest in this opportunity we hope to launch this initiative again, in 2021.

Congratulations to the following successful recipients of the 45 and Up Research Opportunity and thankyou to all applicants who participated in this scheme.

Recipients

Lead Chief Investigator	Project Title	Institute
Jennifer White	Understanding health care use by Australian's with cardiovascular disease: Change in health status and service over time.	University of Newcastle
Wenbo Peng	Quantifying the health and economic impact of maintaining or adopting a healthy lifestyle in people with heart diseases.	University of Technology, Sydney
Kalinda Griffiths	Developing an Australian cardiovascular risk assessment tool for people with cancer aged 45 years and older.	University of NSW
Chrishan Joseph Nalliah	Atrial fibrillation risk and management in women: a prospective Australian study	Macquarie University Hospital
Anna Campain	Predicting non-adherence in heart attack survivors	The George Institute

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI) Innovation Centre, proudly supported by the NSW Government, provides access to state-of-the-art equipment and high-quality training and expertise to Australian researchers, with prioritisation of cardiovascular researchers in NSW.
The NSW CVRN-VCCRI Research Innovation Grant is an exciting new initiative, formed through a partnership with VCCRI and the NSW CVRN. It provides early to mid-career researchers (EMCRs) of the CVRN, access to cutting edge instrumentation, training, and expertise of the Innovation Centre for short term research projects focussed on cardiovascular disease and health. Five grants were available in this round.
Congratulations to the following successful recipients of the 2020 NSW CVRN-VCCRI Research Innovation Grant.

Lead Chief Investigator	Project Title	Institute
Dr Marie Besnier	Evaluation of cardiac morphology and texture in Redox Null mice in a transverse aortic constriction model of heart failure	Kolling Institute University of Sydney
Dr Zoe Clayton	High-throughput electrophysiological phenotyping and pacemaker current recording of pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocyte sub-populations	Westmead Institute for Medical Research University of Sydney
Dr Lining Arnold Ju	High throughput mechano-phenotyping of single red blood cells in arterial thrombosis.	School Biomedical Engineering University of Sydney
Dr Seakcheng Lim	Understanding disease mechanisms for targeted drug therapies in catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT)	Centenary Institute
Dr Chrishan Joseph Nalliah	Evaluation of the impact of epicardial adipose tissue on gap junction remodelling in the atrium: predisposition to atrial fibrillation	Macquarie University Hospital Macquarie University

We anticipate this scheme will be available again in Q4 2021.

Member institutions

Umbrella Organisation	Local Health District Areas	Non-incorporated affiliated Institution
Heart Research Australia	Northern Sydney Local Health District	Royal North Shore Hospital
The Baird Institute
The Sax Institute
Centenary Institute
Macquarie University		Macquarie Private Hospital
Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI)	Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District	Port Kembla Hospital Shellharbour Hospital Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital University of Wollongong Wollongong Hospital
University of Technology, Sydney		North Shore Private Hospital
The George Institute for Global Health	Sydney Local Health District	Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Heart Research Institute
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
Hunter Medical Research Institute	Hunter New England Local Health District Central Coast Local Health District Mid North Coast Local Health District	Newcastle University John Hunter Hospital Hunter Stroke Services Gosford Hospital Wyong Public Hospital
The University of Sydney	Sydney Local Health District Western NSW Local Health District Western Sydney Local Health District Northern Sydney Local Health District Northern NSW Local Health District South Eastern Sydney Local Health District	Balmain Hospital Bathurst Base Hospital Blacktown Hospital Camden Hospital Canterbury Hospital Charles Perkins Centre Concord Repatriation Hospital Dubbo Base Hospital Greenwich Hospital Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital Kolling Institute Lismore Base Hospital Manly Hospital Mona Vale Hospital Orange Base Hospital Mt Druitt Hospital Nepean Hospital Royal North Shore Hospital Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Ryde Hospital St Joseph’s Hospital - Auburn Sydney Hospital & Sydney Eye Hospital The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Westmead Hospital
University of NSW	Sydney Local Health District Western NSW Local Health District Western Sydney Local Health District Northern Sydney Local Health District Northern NSW Local Health District South Eastern Sydney Local Health District	Bankstown Lidcombe Hospital Centre for Vascular Research Fairfield Hospital Griffith Base Hospital Liverpool Hospital Port Macquarie Base Hospital Prince of Wales Hospital Royal Hospital for Women St George Hospital St Vincent’s Hospital Sutherland Hospital Sydney Children’s Hospital Sydney Hospital & Sydney Eye Hospital Wagga Wagga Base Hospital War Memorial Hospital – Waverley
Western Sydney University	South Western Sydney Local Health District

NSW Cardiovascular Research Network

Encouraging cardiovascular research excellence in NSW

How to get involved

New CVRN Executive Committee

For more information

New CVRN Rising Stars Sub-Committee

2021 Professional Development Awards Announced

Grants and awards

Eligibility

Value

How to apply

More information

The need:

The aim:

The structure:

Cardiovascular Research Capacity Grants - by Dr Stephanie Blows, OHMR

Knowledge translation as a pathway to impact - by Luciano Melo, The Sax Institute

Writing for Humans - by Alex Gedye from The Happiness Concierge

Two rounds of ‘speed dating’ sessions

Top forum for top researchers

Past recipients

2017 Professor Emily Banks

2016 Prof Elizabeth Sullivan

Recipients

Member institutions

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