Sohn Hearts & Minds 2022 Conference - Event Wrap

Sohn Hearts & Minds 2022 Raises Millions for Medical Research

2 December 2022

Hundreds of the world’s leading investors gathered in Hobart for the annual Sohn Hearts & Minds conference dedicated to supporting Australian medical research.

This year, the Institute’s Professor Jason Kovacic took to the stage to highlight the importance of how every attendee can do more to look after their own heart health, but also revealed details of a bold new study being launched in 2023 which it’s hoped will tackle heart disease at a far earlier stage in life.

The Tooth Heart study will help discover what factors set children on a trajectory that culminates in atherosclerosis and heart attack later in life. By analysing baby teeth, the team will tap into a wealth of biological information that will inform about early life behaviour and exposures and help reveal how these factors impact heart health.

The event also saw an astonishing $2.3 million pledged in just a matter of minutes by 10 leading investors and companies including the Lew Foundation and Regal Partners. The funds will benefit a range of Australian medical research organisations, including the Institute.

Speakers at the conference this year, which attracts significant global attention and attendance, included fund manager turned anti-corruption campaigner Bill Browder, the founder of MONA David Walsh, Guardian UK writer and Ukraine expert Luke Harding, and Ramez Naam, Managing Partner of US based PlanetaryVC.

As always the stock picks presented on the day, will become part of the investment portfolio, Hearts & Minds Investments Limited (HM1) which supports Australian medical research. This could not happen without the expertise of selected fund managers including Ricky Sandler of Eminence Capital, Joyce Meng of FACT Capital, Jun Bei Liu of Tribeca Investment Partners, Anthony Aboud of Perpetual and Peter Cooper of Cooper Investors.

Professor Jason Kovacic said: "The incredible generosity demonstrated at this year’s event will enable us to develop our bold visions, none more so than our latest study which we hope will help us prevent heart attacks from early life."

"It was very heartening to see so many investors moved to dig deep into their pockets to fund research that will benefit many generations to come.”

Since 2016, the conference and HM1 have raised more than $40 million for medical research in Australia.

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Julia Timms
Head, Media & Communications
j.timms@victorchang.edu.au
0457 517 355