Initiatives and funding
Medicine for healthier lives and transformative discoveries.
The CVMM Theme provides competitive grants for projects that identify and seek to address areas of unmet needs inÌýimprovingÌýcardiac, vascular and metabolic medicine outcomes in the communities we serve. Our grants alsoÌýallow opportunities forÌýemerging researchers to lead and develop smaller projects with the potential to feed into larger funding opportunities.
2025 CVMM Collaborative Grant (up to $30,000):
The Grant aims to support the initiation of new collaborations among scientists and clinicians from various disciplines and faculties. This grant is designed to provide early- and mid-career researchers with opportunities to lead and develop innovative projects, showcasing a clear pathway towards securing substantial external funding for the continued growth and sustainability of research efforts.
| Recipients | Affiliation | Grant Title |
|---|---|---|
Dr Zien Zhou Dr Menglu Ouyang |
The George Institute for Global Health | The willingness to accept brain imaging evaluation for the optimisation of anticoagulation management among people with atrial fibrillation and low-to-intermediate stroke risk |
Dr Aaminah Khan Dr Vikram Tallapragada |
Children’s Cancer Institute &Ìý Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute |
Balancing Efficacy and Safety: Modulating Polyamine Inhibition to Reduce Cardiotoxicity in Paediatric Oncology |
A/Prof Clare Arnott Dr Nila Dharan |
The George Institute for Global Health &Ìý Kirby Institute, UNSW |
OPTIMAR-Heart Study: Assessing the impact of SGLT2 inhibitors on epicardial adipose tissue in HIV positive patients on integrase-based anti-retroviral therapies. |
A/Prof Izzy Jayasinghe Dr Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan |
Department of Molecular Medicine/SBMS &Ìý EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science Department of Molecular Medicine |
Unmasking and targeting the structural and molecular drivers of heterogeneity in the failing heart |
Dr Katrina Kissock Dr Kathy Trieu |
The George Institute for Global Health | Integrating potassium-enriched salt into usual healthcare practice for hypertension management in Australia |
Ms Martina Beretta Dr Brenna Osborne |
School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences | Investigating the efficacy of mitochondrial uncoupler BAM15 in promoting neuronal resistance to metabolic and oxidative stress in ischemic conditions |
Dr Yunjia (Carmen) Zhang Dr Jingjing Li |
School of Biomedical Sciences &Ìý Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering |
A novel strategy for preventing heart failure in myocardial infarction survivors |
2025 CVMM International Speaker Fellowship:
This fellowship is dedicated to inviting and hosting international experts in the field of cardiac, vascular, and metabolic medicine to visit UNSW Sydney. The purpose of this program is to bring the most exceptional and accomplished experts to UNSW, contributing to the enhancement of existing collaborations or the establishment of new partnerships with researchers affiliated with UNSW.
Recipient |
Speaker |
Affiliates |
Talk Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
A/Prof Sradha Kotwal |
ProfÌýGraeme EisenhoferÌý |
Professor at Dresden Adrenal Research Center Department of Medicine III |
Personalised medicine approaches in hypertension. Validation of machine learning models for laboratory and clinical diagnosis, differential diagnosis and management of secondary hypertensionÌý(August-September 2025) |
A/Prof Cheryl Carcel |
A/ProfÌýThalia FieldÌý |
Associate Professor, Heart and Stroke/Sauder Family Professor of Stroke Research, University of British Columbia |
1.ÌýBrain health in congenital heart disease: Knowns, unknowns and implications for care and research throughout the lifespan 2.ÌýCerebral venous thrombosis: an update (between September to December 2025) |
Prof Jason Kovacic |
ProfÌýFilip SwirskiÌý |
Arthur & Janet C. Ross Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Professor of Radiology and Director, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiÌý | Heart-Brain Communication in Health and Disease (18-25 November 2025) |
Ìý
Past Awards
-
2024 CVMM Collaborative Grant:
Recipients Affiliation Grant Title Dr. Meghan Ambrens
Prof. Kim Delbaere
Neuroscience Research Australia StandingTall-Rehab: Co-designing a Comprehensive Digital Rehabilitation Program for Enhance Patient Management and Rehabilitation Outcomes Dr. Reza Argha
A/Prof. Sze Yuan Ooi
Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering Affordable Analysis of Electrocardiogram Data Using Transfer Learning and Weak Supervision A/Prof. Susann Beier
A/Prof. Kaleab Asrress
School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering Supervised machine learning to detect coronary artery and aortic valve calcification on routine chest X-rays (CAC-X) Dr. Md Shajedur Rahman Shawon
Dr. Jennifer Yu
Centre for Big Data Research in Health Discovery of high-need, high-cost cardiovascular patient phenotypes using Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) models A/Prof. Kavitha Muthiah
Dr. Vanathi Sivasubramaniam
St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney Molecular and genetic effects of sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on cardiac tissue Dr. Sonali Gnanenthiran
Prof. Anthony Rodgers
The George Institute for Global Health LOTUS Trial: LOw dose anti-hypertensive combinations To improve stroke oUtcomeS Dr. Chai-Ann Ng
Dr. Elizabeth Palmer
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute Improving the treatment of ventricular arrhythmia by targeting the cardiac calcium channel CVMM International Speaker Fellowship:
Recipient
Speaker
Affiliates
Talk Topic
Prof Diane Fatkin
Prof Steven Niederer
Alan Turing Institute
Multi-Scale Patient-Specific Cardiac Models Based on Clinical Data (September 2024)
A/Prof Jodie Ingles
Prof James Ware
Imperial College London
Polygenic Determinants of Monogenic Cardiovascular Disease (May 2024)
A/Prof Ruth Peters
Prof Jeff Williamson
Wake Forest Center for Healthcare Innovation
Cognitive Decline and Hypertension (March 2024)
Prof Jamie Vandenberg Prof Tina Vilsbøll Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen,Ìý
University of Copenhagen, Denmark1. Cardiovascular Benefits of GLP1 agonists
2. Utilisation of incretins as therapeuticsÌýÌý(1 November 2024)Prof Anthony Rodgers & ProfÌý Alta SchutteÌý Dr Michael Rakotz American Medical Association Challenges and opportunities in achieving a step change in hypertension control in Australia – lessons from the USA (25 November 2024) Prof Bruce Neal & A/Prof Sradha KotwalÌý Prof Ewout Hoorn Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands Potassium in chronic kidney disease: reconciling controversiesÌý (15 November 2024) A/Prof Belinda Parmenter Prof Mary McGrae McDermottÌý Deputy Editor of JAMA
Northwestern Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityÌý
Pharmaceutical and lifestyle medicine for cardiovascular disease with a focus on peripheral artery disease; AND her career trajectory to Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University and Deputy Editor of JAMA (14 November 2024) Ìý
2024 CVMM Early to Mid-Career Researcher Conference Award:
Recipient
Affiliates
Conference
Talk Topic
Osvaldo Contreras
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
Biomolecular Horizons Congress
Time-resolved multi-omics illustrates the complex impact of DNA replication stress on chromatin integrity and pluripotency loss
Lauren Houston
The George Institute for Global Health
72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New ZealandÌý
Risk of cardiovascular disease in female cancer survivors: a population cohort study using linked Australian health datasets
Jeanette Villanueva
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
TheÌý30th International Congress of The Transplantation Society
Improving donor heart preservation with funnel web spider venom and the anti-diabetic drug Empagliflozin
Ìý
Vivian Lee
The George Institute for Global Health
71stÌýInternational Joint Congress of the International Society of Obstetric Medicine (ISOM) and the Society of Obstetric Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (SOMANZ)
Investigating opportunities to prevent Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus after Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: the DIVINE-NSW study.Ìý
Isaballa Tan
The George Institute for Global Health
International Society of Hypertension Scientific Meeting
Listen to Your Heart and Mind: A feasibility study on combined screening of raised blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, cognitive impairment and hearing lossÌý ÌýÌý
Katrina Kissock
The George Institute for Global HealthÌý
Preventive Health Conference
Developing a strategy to scale-up potassium-enriched salt use to prevent cardiovascular disease
Ìý
-
2023 Collaborative Grants
Principal Investigators
Affiliates
Project Title
Professor Tracie Barber;ÌýDr Blake CochranÌýÌýÌý
School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering/Faculty of Engineering; School of Biomedical ScienceÌýÌýÌý
Creating an in vitro model using printed vessels to assess endothelial cell signalling in patients treated with haemodialysis (Creating IMPACT)
Dr Vivian Lee ;ÌýA/Prof Belinda ParmenterÌýÌýÌýÌý
The George Institute for Global Health;ÌýUNSWÌýÌýÌý
Using wearable activity monitors to increase physical activity in women with a recent history of gestational diabetes – A cross-over randomisation trial.Ìý
Dr Juliana de Oliveira Costa;ÌýDrÌýTamara MilderÌýÌý
UNSW School of Population Health;ÌýSt Vincent and GarvanÌýÌýÌý
Improving the use of cardiometabolic medicines in type 2 diabetes: an atlas to identify areas of unmet clinical need
Dr Justin Phan;ÌýDr Reza Argha; Prof Jamie VandenbergÌýÌý
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute; UNSW; VCCRIÌýÌý
Machine learning-based electrocardiographic analysis to predict cardiac toxicity in patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Dr Isabella Tan;ÌýProf Aletta E Schutte; Ms Catherine Morgan; Prof Mridula Sharma; Prof Henry Brodaty
The George Institute for Global Health;ÌýUNSW; National Acoustic Laboratories; Macquarie Uni; UNSW CHeBA
Listen to Your Heart and MindÌý (Hypertension and hearing loss)
Dr. Jordan Thorpe;ÌýDr Shafagh Waters; Dr Adam HillÌýÌý
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute; School of Biomedical Science; VCCRIÌýÌý
Tackling rheumatic fever induced atrial fibrillation and heart failure in indigenous communities utilizing stem cell derived atrial cardiac tissues.
Dr Luna Xu;ÌýA/Prof Yulei SuiÌýÌýÌý
School of Population Health; School of Computer Science and EngineeringÌýÌýÌý
Cardiovascular risk prediction: a robust deep learning approach to guide healthy eating
Ìý
2023 CVMM Early to Mid-Career Researcher Conference Award (up to $2,000):
Recipient
Affiliates
Conference
Talk Topic
Dr Monique Bax
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
71st CSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting, Adelaide, Australia
Proteomic analysis reveals TGFB pathway perturbation in spontaneous coronary artery dissection patient iPSC derived endothelial cells
Dr Cheryl Carcel
The George Institute for Global Health
The Joint Annual Scientific Meeting of The Stroke Society of Australasia and Smart Strokes, Melbourne
Inequity in stroke trialsÌýÌýÌýÌý
Dr Briar McKenzie
The George Institute for Global Health
The Nutrition Society Irish Section Conference, Ireland
Investigating sex and gender differences in diet, and the diet related burden of cardiovascular diseaseÌýÌýÌýÌý
Dr Celine Santiago
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
71st CSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting, Adelaide, Australia
Using zebrafish to solve 'missing pathogenicity' in genetic cardiomyopathies
Dr Md Shajedur Rahman Shawon
Centre for Big Data Research in Health, UNSW
71st CSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting, Adelaide, Australia
Regional differences in the rates and impact of care fragmentation following myocardial infarction admissionÌýÌýÌýÌý
Dr Yunjia (Carmen) Zhan
Biomedical Sciences, UNSW
Australian Atherosclerosis Society Annual Meeting 2023, Adelaide
A novel strategy for reducing future events in myocardial infarction survivors
Ìý
-
2021 Networking Grants
Recipient Affiliates Project Title Dr R Arnold & Dr C Sandler School of Health Sciences; Thde Kirby Institute Can digital cardiovascular initiatives be applied to Chronic Kidney Disease: A cohort of disproportionate cardiovascular risk? Dr J Snaith The Garvan Institute; St Vincent's Hospital A novel online tool to diagnose double diabetes using biomarkers: towards cardiovascular risk reduction by personalised adjunctive treatment of insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes Ìý
2021 Big Ideas Grants
Recipient Affiliates Project Title A/Prof X Feng & Prof A Schutte UNSW School of Population Health; The George Institute for Global Health Uptake and effectiveness of a UNSW Lifestyle Clinic exercise physiologist intervention for improving physical activity and reducing high blood pressure: A pilot randomised controlled trial A/Prof A Henry & Prof A Patel School of Women's and Children's Health DIVINE: Drug InterVention for prevention of type 2 diabEtes among women with recent prior gestational diabetes – a proposal for formative research Dr L Lin & Prof M Parsons Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research; Sydney Brain Centre Clinical and imaging characterisation of stroke in First Nations, Pacific Islander, and other culturally and linguistically diverse Australian communities Dr Yu & A/Prof B Gallego Luxan South East Sydney Local Health District;Ìý Centre ofr Big Data Research in Health Cardiovascular Analytics and Innovation (CVAI) data repository: A big data resource for machine learning-enabled research and health systems quality improvement.