Heading towards the end of another year and we’re excited about some big announcements that will be made at this year’s Annual General Meeting coming up on Wednesday 13 November at 3pm. Members would’ve already received an AGM invitation by now and we urge you to register to participate in this important process and find out more.

A note that all members are welcome to attend the AGM. However, only individual members or those with proxy rights from their organisation are eligible to vote. 

In case you missed it, we recently released an announcement about an article published in the Medical Journal of Australia, highlighting our Health Leadership Research Forum. This initiative serves as a new model for connecting researchers with health leaders to identify critical research and implementation priorities. More details can be found below.

As a national organisation, we are honoured to receive invitations to events across the country. Over the past two months, I had the privilege of attending the Asia Pacific Stroke Conference, Australian Cardiovascular Alliance Early Career Researcher Networking Event in Adelaide and the Queensland Cardiovascular Research Network Showcase in Brisbane. Just last week, I was in Sydney for the Victor Chang Heart Health Checks at NSW Parliament House and had the opportunity to speak at the inspiring Her Heart Conference.

It’s always energising to learn about the incredible work our members are doing across Australia, but opportunities for regional engagement are limited. That’s why we were particularly delighted to attend the recent Asia Pacific Heart Summit in Bangkok. It was inspiring to join fellow advocates dedicated to advancing cardiovascular health and tackling the global challenge of heart disease. The focus on a coordinated and collaborative approach to achieving significant progress toward a heart-healthy future truly resonated with us.

We look forward to seeing you at the AGM and sharing more about our collective efforts in the coming year!

Kerry Doyle PSM OAM

CEO, ACvA

ACvA HIGHLIGHTS

 Health Leadership Research Forum in the MJA

You can find The national Cardiovascular Health Leadership Research Forum: a new data-driven model placing research at the centre of improving patient outcomes, out now on early view from the Medical Journal of Australia.

This article highlights how the ACvA’s innovative Health Leadership Research Forum (HLRF) connects Australia’s world-class researchers with health leaders and identifies research priorities through evidence and expertise.

The HLRF is a new model developed and launched in 2022 to drive collaboration among stakeholders. The Forum aims to foster a continuous national conversation on cardiovascular disease priorities, ensuring research aligns with healthcare needs and can more rapidly implement solutions.

“Until now, there has been no mechanism that allows for a fully integrated national conversation on CVD and stroke between the health system, clinicians, researchers, industry partners, state and federal governments, and data and health economics experts,” wrote ACvA Board Director Professor Gemma Figtree and colleagues in the paper.

You can read the media release and full article HERE.

Wollongong Workshop Tackles Growing Heart Health Disparities Between Rural and Urban Australia

On 5 September, a landmark workshop at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus brought together an influential group of local doctors, researchers, patients, and health leaders from across Australia to address disparities in heart and stroke health outcomes between rural and urban communities.

Atrial Fibrillation Workshop in Sydney

In July, the National Hypertension Taskforce, published a Roadmap built on three pillars to (A) prevent; (B) detect; and (C) effectively treat raised BP.

Key recommendations from the Roadmap include a focus towards team-based care, empowering the community to take charge of their health, and supporting equitable and accessible screening and health testing programs.

Insights and Inspiration at the Asia Pacific Heart Summit

We’ve just returned from the Asia Pacific Heart Summit in Bangkok, where it was both humbling and inspiring to engage with so many passionate cardiovascular disease (CVD) advocates from across the region.

The inaugural Summit, organised by the Asia Pacific Cardiovascular Disease Alliance, brought together key stakeholders with the following goals:

• Uniting CVD stakeholders in the region ahead of the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
• Underscoring the need for innovative approaches to redefining cardiovascular care
• Highlighting policy and systems enablers as fundamental to ensuring good CVD outcomes

As a member of this group, the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance (ACvA) was thrilled to stand among others committed to advancing cardiovascular health and tackling the global burden of heart disease. We were particularly impressed by the emphasis on a coordinated, collaborative approach to achieving meaningful progress toward a heart-healthy future.

Despite the diversity of the region, many of the challenges discussed were strikingly similar. Issues like access to care, resource limitations, workforce shortages, and continuity of care remain significant barriers to optimising health outcomes.

With 18 million people dying of cardiovascular disease globally each year—and 11 million of these deaths occurring in the Asia-Pacific region—the urgency for collective action is clear.

The Summit featured captivating discussions on a variety of critical topics, including:

• Key risk factors driving the rise in CVD.
• Models for sustainable and effective financing of CVD programs.
• Prioritizing heart failure within national health systems.
• Insights into national CVD policies and case studies from across the region.

Events like this Summit provide invaluable opportunities for knowledge sharing and mutual learning, bridging disciplines and best practices across the full spectrum of cardiovascular care—from prevention to rehabilitation.

We left Bangkok inspired, energised and more ready than ever to work towards real, measurable improvements in cardiovascular health.

EMCR Event at the Asia Pacific Stroke Conference

On Wednesday 25 September, ACvA co-hosted an Early Career Researcher networking event with the Asia-Pacific Stroke Conference. The event was led by ACvA Board Director Natasha Lannin with discussions on the importance of inter-institutional mentoring by members of the ACvA Stroke Clinical Theme - Dr Sharon Kramer, Associate Professor Kate Hayward, Professor Leonid Churilov and a guest appearance from Professor Mark Parsons. 

Inside Look - Collaboration Advances Blood Pressure Research and Management

Getting in on the ‘collective conversation’ led Professor Jim Sharman and his blood pressure research to both the National Hypertension Taskforce and the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance’s Health Research Leadership Forum.

Jim Sharman is a Professor of Medical Research and Deputy Director at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research. He also heads their Blood Pressure Research Group.

High blood pressure is one of Australia’s most pervasive health challenges.  An issue of this scale needs cross-sector collaboration and commitment to combine resources, expertise, and efforts.

SECTOR ACTIVITIES & UPDATES

• ACvA President Professor Jason Kovacic and team have unlocked the cause of a vascular disease that affects one in 20 women
• ACvA Board Director Professor Jamie Vandenberg and team have developed the world's first individual gene mutation test for predicting risk of sudden cardiac death.
• A University of Queensland-led project by ACvA Scientific Advisory Committee member A/Prof Nathan Palpant, Professor Glenn King and their team to develop the first-ever drug to treat heart attack and protect donor hearts will move to human clinical trials, after receiving $17.8 million in funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
• The World Heart Federation has announced its 2025-26 Board and three of them are Australian! Congratulations to ACvA Scientific Advisory Committee Chair and Implementation & Policy Flagship Co-director Julie Redfern as well as Hearts4Heart CEO Tanya Hall and Heart Foundation CEO David Lloyd.
• The new ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures has officially launched in Brisbane.
• Transformative research to treat the human heart has been honoured with the 2024 Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Jian Zhou Medal.
• The Stroke Foundation released its Economic Impact of Stroke Report with key information and insights on current stroke data.
• The Australian Government has released the new National Science Statement and National Science and Research Prioritiesoutlining the long-term vision for Australia’s science and research system.
• The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has released the Australian Framework for National Clinical Quality Registries 2024.
• The Asia Pacific CVD Alliance has released 9 country reports (including Australia)which provide an overview on the country’s CVD burden, economic burden, risk factors, health promotion trends, and policy initiatives.
• The MRFF has just released its Report on Chief Investigator Data providing insight into the diversity of leaders who apply and are supported.
• The Australian Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Medical Innovation (ACAMI) opened in Victoria.
• The City Heartbeat Index, a new World Heart Federation Report, is a heart health benchmark of 50 cities worldwide.
• A National Action Plan to Build Australia’s Diagnostic Technology Sector and Improve Health Security has just been released by MTP Connect.
• The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Future of Preventative Health Report is out.

National Hypertension Summit

The inaugural Hypertension Summit will be hosted by the National Hypertension Taskforce on 26 November in Sydney.

The Taskforce will be highlighting hypertension research and innovation in Australia and internationally, identifying emerging opportunities and challenges in the field and exploring the future of how to increase current controls rates in Australia to 70% by 2030. 

National Cardiovascular EMCR Summit

The National Cardiovascular EMCR Summit is a partnership between the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Heart Foundation with support from Hypertension Australia and the Stroke Foundation.

Hear from a stellar line-up of speakers including A/Prof Seana Gall, Dr Cher-Rin Chong, Dr Osvaldo Contreras, Dr Emma Gordon, Dr Verity Cleland, Dr Charmain Tam, Dr Julee McDonagh, Dr Jessica Orchard discussing EMCR success stories, career diversity and networking strategies. 

ICCPR CFRC Certification

The 2nd round of EOIs for the ACRA funded ICCPR CFRC certification program is NOW OPEN! Don’t miss this chance to get FREE training for Cardiac Rehab clinicians across Australia.

Apply today to enhance your skills and make a difference.

EVENTS & TRAINING

GRANTS & OPPORTUNITIES

As members, you are the ACvA, so please let us know if you have any cardiovascular and stroke research news, events, jobs or training which you’d like to share. Email nina.cullen@ozheart.org 

Tag us in your posts so we can help spread the word:

@OzCvA (Twitter)

@Australian Cardiovascular Alliance (LinkedIn)

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