Category Archives: Cardiology

Tweeting our way to heart health

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Tweeting our way to heart health

[Image: Flickr/MDGovpics, used under the Creative Commons licence]

Real-time social phenomenon, Twitter, can be a powerful tool to help prevent heart disease and improve health practices, according to a group of researchers affiliated with the University of Sydney.

Their study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, surveying 15 international health-focused Twitter accounts, nine professional organisations and six medical journals, were selected for analysis of their Twitter growth, reach, and content.

The study showed that, through its inherent networking, social media sites like Twitter have the potential to enhance education, awareness and overall management of cardiovascular disease.

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Our highly prized heart researcher

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Cardiovascular ResearchNHMRC/National Heart Foundation early career fellow Dr Jodie Ingles just cannot seem to stop racking up awards for her work relating to how we care for people with genetic heart disease.

She has just been announced as the winner of the annual Rita and John Cornforth Medal (footnote) for the highest quality PhD across the entire University of Sydney and her contributions to the University and broader community.

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Cardiology, TB, ageing and immunology

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Centenary wins support for research thrust

NHMRC

The latest NHMRC funding will help Centenary's ground-breaking research, such as in the T-Cell Biology lab, headed by Professor Barbara Fazekas de St Groth.

Centenary scientists have won over $5 million in the latest NHMRC grant round – with seven research grants and three early career fellowships.

The development of a TB vaccine, the genetic regulation of ageing, the fundamental workings of the immune system, the genetic basis of heart disease—these are some of the research areas of key interest to Centenary Institute for which the Australian Government has announced funding through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Centenary also boasts three new NHMRC Early-Career Fellows along with seven significant research projects in the medical research funding released on Friday.

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Orchestrating changes in heart disease

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Centenary’s Molecular Cardiology research group—Professor Chris Semsarian, Dr Richard Bagnall & Tatiana Tsoutsman (Missing: Rhian Shephard) with bioinformatician Dr William Ritchie

A study by Centenary scientists will help researchers find new approaches to diagnosing and treating a devastating genetic heart condition. The group looked at microRNAs, tiny fragments of genetic material that regulate genes.

They may be small, but microRNAs (miRNAs) pack a significant punch. The work that Centenary’s Molecular Cardiology research group—including post-doctoral fellow, Dr Richard Bagnall, Professor Chris Semsarian, Dr Tatiana Tsoutsman and Rhian Shephard in collaboration with bioinformatician Dr William Ritchie—has just published tracked changing patterns of microRNAs in heart cells from the inception of the disease condition until its end stages. Continue reading →

Getting to the heart of topline research

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Dr Jodie Ingles

NHMRC/National Heart Foundation early career fellow, Dr Jodie Ingles is a much awarded Centenary Institute researcher who is in demand—and her work could lead to a significant change in how we care for people with a genetic heart disease

Among the most significant findings of her PhD studies, supervised by Professor Chris Semsarian, is that genetic testing is a cost effective approach to managing families with genetic heart disease. Jodie also found that it has no lasting psychological impact on those tested, even in those who test gene-positive. Continue reading →

Genetic testing for heritable heart disease cost effective

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Dr Jodie Ingles

Dr Jodie Ingles

Genetic testing for the most common genetic heart disorder, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, can save money as well as lives, according to a study from the Centenary Institute just published in the British journal Heart.

The research was based on data from the National Genetic Heart Disease Registry. Lead author was National Registry Coordinator, Dr Jodie Ingles and senior author, the Registry Advisory Chair, Professor Chris Semsarian.

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A jump start for Victorian sporting clubs

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Professor Chris Semsarian

Professor Chris Semsarian, Assistant Director at Centenary

Professor Chris Semsarian, cardiologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Assistant Director at Centenary Institute has welcomed a campaign to reduce deaths from sudden cardiac arrest among athletes, officials and spectators in sporting clubs of Victoria, Australia.

Cardiac Science Corporation will supply hundreds of easy-to-use defibrillators and a training program to provide a safer sporting environment.

The campaign was sparked by the on-field death of a young player, Stephen Buckman, in May 2010. Buckman, 19, collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest during training. Andrew White, the paramedic who attempted to revive Buckman has led the “Defib Your Club, For Life” campaign.