Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death globally and costs the Australian economy $12 billion each year. This is projected to increase to $22 billion over the next decade. Cardiovascular disease has reached pandemic proportions with one Australian dying from the disease every 12 minutes. This is why scientists and doctors at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Australia’s home of heart research, are dedicated to finding cures through their world class research.   

2019 was a landmark year with the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute celebrating 25 years of scientific achievements.  Over the last 25 years, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute has made a multitude of major advances in heart research, many revolutionising our understanding of disease causes, treatment, and prevention in the areas of heart attack, cholesterol, heart arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease and  genetic analysis.

A new era for the Institute began in March 2020 as they welcomed Professor Jason Kovacic. A highly respected cardiologist and researcher, Professor Kovacic relocated from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York to take the reins as the Executive Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, and is the inaugural Robert Graham Professor of Cardiovascular Research. Named in honour of the Institute’s Founding Executive Director, this prestigious Chair position is generously supported by HM1 and provides critical ongoing funding to foster scientific excellence for the Institute.

Helped by partners like HM1 and Magellan, the Institute’s Innovation centre is heralding a research revolution in our search to solve the unsolved. It is pushing the boundaries of knowledge by transforming the landscape of cardiovascular research around Australia and the Asia Pacific. The Institute’s world class technology is accelerating the opportunities of discovering cures for heart disease and bringing us closer to realising “personalised” medicine of the future and improving health outcomes for patients suffering from heart disease in Australia and around the world. 

As part of our impact video series, we spoke with Founding Executive Director Professor Robert Graham and Professor Sally Dunwoodie, Head of Embryology, discussing the importance of medical research and their recent breakthroughs. You can watch the video below: