CVRN Awards 2022
Institute’s Academics Recognised for their Outstanding Cardiovascular Research Excellence
26 October 2022
The Institute’s Professor Jamie Vandenberg and Associate Professor Eleni Giannoulatou have been honoured at the 2022 NSW CVRN Showcase and Awards Ceremony.
NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce with 2022 award recipients Prof Jamie Vandenberg, A/Prof Clare Arnott, and A/Prof Eleni Giannoulatou
Around 160 guests gathered at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney to recognise NSW’s most outstanding cardiovascular disease researchers.
Hosted by the NSW Cardiovascular Research Network (CVRN) Showcase, Officer for Health and Medical Research, NSW Health, and the Heart Foundation, these awards recognise the state’s most eminent health and medical researchers who are making significant contributions to the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease.
NSW Health Secretary, Susan Pearce, presented the Ministerial Award for Cardiovascular Research Excellence, and two Ministerial Awards for Rising Stars in Cardiovascular Research, in lieu of the Hon Brad Hazzard MP, NSW Minister for Health, who was unable to attend at the last minute.
Professor Vandenberg received the Ministerial Award for Research Excellence. This award recognises and celebrates the achievements of one of the state’s most gifted, senior researchers in cardiovascular disease.
Professor Vandenberg’s research excellence includes extensive achievements in understanding heart arrhythmias including breakthrough discoveries in revealing how ion channels work and how drugs interact with these channels and facilitating precision treatments of patients with inherited cardiac arrhythmia syndromes.
Professor Vandenberg’s award also highlights his passion for supporting the next generation of cardiovascular researchers in NSW, evidenced through the mentoring and supervision of over 50 undergraduate and postgraduate students and 18 Postdoctoral fellows.
Associate Professor Giannoulatou was awarded one of two Rising Star Awards for her research into bioinformatics and statistical genetics. Her research focuses on the development and application of computational methods to answer genetic questions using high-throughput genomics data which has resulted in ground-breaking methodologies aiming to increase the current genetic diagnostic rate in cardiovascular disease. Associate Professor Clare Arnott of The George Institute for Global Health was the other winner of the Rising Star Award.
This year, the Showcase also highlighted research into sudden cardiac death by pairing people with lived experience of this devastating disorder with researchers who are trying to target its causes and how to prevent it.
Speakers included Victoria Macarthur-Stanham who shared her story about having a sudden cardiac arrest whilst at home, and who has worked with the Institute to raise awareness of Professor Vandenberg’s work.
Other speakers were Wiggle Greg Page who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest whilst on stage performing and Andy Paschalidis of Heartbeat of Football who were teamed with the Institute’s Dr Andy Ng, Prof Pramesh Kovoor of Westmead Hospital and Sonali Munot, of the University of Sydney.
-- ENDS --
For all media enquiries and interview requests, please contact:
Julia Timms
Head, Media & Communications
j.timms@victorchang.edu.au
0457 517 355
Acknowledgement of Country
The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute acknowledges Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
