https://www.monash.edu/research/vic-heart-institute

Monash Victorian Heart Institute, Melbourne (2025)

26/11/2025

Too many women are told their heart symptoms are ‘something else’.

At a recent women’s heart health session co-hosted by the Monash Victorian Heart Institute and the Monash Women's Health Alliance, the message was clear: bias is still costing women their lives.

Professor Stephen Nicholls shared a story he hears far too often - women experiencing heart attack symptoms being told it’s stress or anxiety. “I’ve never heard a man tell me that story,” he said.

Cardiologist, Dr Esther Davis, reinforced the impact: women are less likely to be diagnosed early, enrolled in trials or receive guideline-based care. Her work establishing the Women’s Heart Clinic and Research Challenge at the Victorian Heart Hospital is creating change by offering dedicated, evidence-based care tailored to women’s needs.

Every day, 20 Australian women die from cardiovascular disease. Changing that requires greater awareness, more inclusive research and care models that truly see women.

We're working with partners across Monash to help drive that change so women’s symptoms are recognised the first time, not after the damage is done.

🔗 Watch the session: https://lnkd.in/gKbT4-u2

24/11/2025

What’s your cholesterol saying?

This week (24-30 November) marks Cholesterol Awareness Week - a national campaign to raise the alarm on high cholesterol and the risks it poses.

Too many people treat cholesterol as a “silent” issue, not realising it’s a major driver of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular disease.

At Monash University and through the GOAL-ASIA study, we’re working to turn awareness into action by helping patients and clinicians better understand individual cholesterol risk, know the numbers, and act early.

✅ Know your types: LDL, HDL, triglycerides
✅ Know your numbers: A simple blood test and heart health check can change the conversation
✅ Know your plan: Lifestyle + treatment = better outcomes

If you haven’t had your cholesterol checked recently, now is the time. Talk to your GP, ask about risks, make it part of your heart-health routine.

19/11/2025

We're excited to share that Monash University has been named Australia’s top research institution in Cardiology, Heart & Thoracic Surgery, and Vascular Medicine in The Australian’s 2026 Health & Medical Sciences list.

This recognition is a testament to the strength of our partnerships across Monash University, Monash Health and beyond, with the collective ambition to drive discovery into real-world impact for people living with heart and vascular disease.

Congratulations to our colleagues across Monash, recognised as national leaders in 51 research fields, showcasing the diversity and excellence of the university research ecosystem.

We are proud to contribute to this momentum, advancing cardiovascular research, clinical innovation and translational science that improves outcomes for communities here in Australia and around the world.

🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gbUpjZSB

17/11/2025

Professor Stephen Nicholls joined the Healthy Living radio program, with Dr Ross Walker, yesterday to talk about something that genuinely feels like a turning point: Australia’s first-in-human CRISPR gene-editing trial for lipid disorders.

"It almost sounds like science fiction, what we're able to do," he said.

In the interview, Professor Nicholls breaks down:
🔬 How CRISPR works and why this technology is transforming what’s possible in medicine.
🫀 The lipid disorders being targeted and why new therapies are urgently needed.
🧪 How the therapy switches off the ANGPTL3 gene to lower harmful fats in the blood.
📉 What the early results show, including meaningful lipid reductions after a single dose.
🌏 What this could mean for the future of treating heart disease, potentially moving us toward “one-and-done” therapies.

🎧 Listen to the full interview (from 17:30): https://lnkd.in/ghhAnsXA

16/11/2025

Supporting patients through knowledge and connection ❤️

We’ve launched SPARK — Sharing Positive Advice, Resources and Knowledge — a new Victorian Heart Hospital program designed to help people living with pacemakers or defibrillators feel informed, supported and in control.

Created by experts from the Victorian Heart Institute and Monash Health, SPARK brings patients, families and clinicians together for honest conversations, practical guidance and the chance to connect with others on the same journey.

Our first session held last week focused on how ICD's work, cut through jargon, busted common myths and gave participants clarity and confidence.

🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gN8PE8Tf

14/11/2025

We were excited to join this year’s Sub-Faculty of Clinical and Molecular Medicine Research Symposium — a great day of discussion, new ideas and connection across the Monash research community.

Associate Professor Nitesh Nerlekar, VHI Deputy Director, presented work from his trial examining how combining coronary calcium scoring with targeted treatment can slow plaque progression in people with familial coronary artery disease. It’s an important area of research that has real potential to guide more personalised prevention and care.

Thanks to the SF-CaMM team for hosting an engaging program, we look forward to continuing to build strong collaborations across the precinct.

14/11/2025

The Victorian Heart Institute is proud to congratulate Director, Professor Stephen Nicholls on being named a 2025 Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher — marking his continued recognition on this prestigious global list, which he first joined in 2023.

This honour reflects Steve’s sustained international influence in cardiovascular research and the strength of the collaborative ecosystem we are building across Monash University, Monash Health and our partners.

We also warmly acknowledge our long-standing collaborator Professor Helena Teede AM, alongside the many other outstanding Monash researchers whose exceptional contributions have been recognised this year.

As Steve reflects:
“I’m grateful for all of the wonderful collaborations that enable me to be a member of this group. The critical thing is to convert the work into impact.”

At the VHI, this ethos drives everything we do — harnessing discovery, translation and partnership to improve heart health for communities here in Australia and around the world.

🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gBU2wVSZ

10/11/2025

What if the future of treating heart disease could be a 'one-and-done' therapy?

That’s the promise of a groundbreaking gene-editing therapy unveiled by Professor Stephen Nicholls, Director of the Monash Victorian Heart Institute, at this year’s American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

Using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, the therapy, called CTX310, “switches off” the ANGPTL3 gene in the liver, a key driver of cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism.

In this first-in-human trial, a single infusion led to up to 50% reductions in LDL cholesterol and 55% reductions in triglycerides, with strong safety and tolerability results.

“What once seemed like science fiction is now becoming reality,” said Professor Nicholls. “A one-and-done therapy may one day offer lasting protection against cardiovascular disease.”

Conducted primarily in Australia and New Zealand, this landmark study marks a global first in applying in vivo gene editing for cardiovascular disease, signalling a major leap forward in how we could prevent and treat the world’s leading cause of death.

🎥 Watch Professor Nicholls discuss the findings with Dr Karol Watson (UCLA) on AHAtv: https://lnkd.in/g5h2Pv3w

10/11/2025

A new frontier in how we treat heart disease 🧬🫀

Monash University's Victorian Heart Institute and Monash Health's Victorian Heart Hospital have successfully led a first-in-human trial of a breakthrough gene-editing therapy that may lower cholesterol and triglycerides in people with difficult-to-treat lipid disorders.

The therapy, CTX310, uses CRISPR-Cas9 technology to switch off a gene called ANGPTL3 — lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides by up to 60%.

Led by Professor Stephen Nicholls, the study represents a major advance in cardiovascular medicine — and a glimpse into a future where we can treat heart disease at its genetic source.

“Gene-editing technology is a new frontier of medical treatment, and it’s incredibly exciting for Victorians and Australians that we are leading such an important trial,” said Professor Nicholls.

The trial was presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in New Orleans and published by The New England Journal of Medicine.

🎥 Watch the 9News coverage below
🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/43Uqv0x

30/10/2025

Monash University researchers have been awarded more than $1.28 million in Heart Foundation funding to help tackle Australia’s biggest killer - heart disease 🫀

Nine researchers were recognised in the 2025 funding round, spanning discovery, clinical and translational research aimed at improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Among this year’s highlights, Associate Professor Nitesh Nerlekar, cardiologist and Deputy Director of the Victorian Heart Institute, has received a Future Leader Fellowship and been named a recipient of the prestigious Professor Paul Korner Award - recognising the two most innovative Fellowship recipients nationally.

Associate Professor Nerlekar’s project explores how routine mammograms could be leveraged to detect cardiovascular risk early, offering a “two-for-one” opportunity to protect women’s health through established screening programs.

The VHI congratulates all Monash recipients on this success and their continued contributions to advancing cardiovascular research and improving heart health across Australia.

🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/49s09Xi
📷 Image: A/Professor Nitesh Nerlekar

27/10/2025

💡 Congratulations to Dr Annaliese Dillon and Dr Anida Velagic, recipients of the 2025 Ian Fehring Innovation Seed Grant through the Victorian Heart Institute.

Their project, Developing a first-in-class therapeutic for Heart Failure, tackles one of the most significant unmet needs in modern medicine - heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which currently has limited effective treatments.

Supported by the generosity of Mr Ian Fehring, the grant empowers early-career researchers to pursue bold, translational ideas with real-world impact.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Ian for his generosity and belief in early-career researchers,” said Dr Dillon and Dr Velagic. “This support enables us to accelerate our program and take the next steps toward translating our discovery into a treatment that could change lives.”

👏 Congratulations to Annaliese, Anida and their team - and thank you to Ian Fehring for helping power the next generation of cardiovascular innovation.

🔗 Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4oxvcoQ
📷 Image: VHI Director, Professor Stephen Nicholls and philanthropist, Mr Ian Fehring

29/09/2025

Would you recognise the warning signs of a heart attack? ❤️

Today is World Heart Day, and the Victorian Heart Hospital welcomed Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas MP, and 10 News to raise awareness of the warning signs of a heart attack and how they can differ between men and women.

Watch the video to hear expert insights from cardiologist, Women’s Heart Clinic and Monash University Victorian Heart Institute Women’s Heart Health Lead, Dr Esther Davis, and the experience of Monash Health patient, Shefali.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Australia, with more than one million Australians living with some form of cardiovascular disease. It is the leading cause of death for women globally, with an average of 20 Australian women dying from heart-related problems each day.

Women are too often dismissed when experiencing a heart attack. Men commonly report squeezing chest pain, pain radiating down the left arm, shortness of breath and nausea. Women also experience chest pain, but are also more likely to experience additional symptoms such as dizziness, light-headedness, fatigue, and nausea.

If you want to take charge of your heart health, here are some easy tips!

🚬 Do not smoke or v**e, or take steps towards quitting
🍎 Eat a healthy, balanced diet and watch your salt intake
🚶‍♀️ Do regular physical activity - aim for 30 minutes a day
💓Know your numbers - blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar are silent risks for CVD
👩‍⚕️Get a 20-minute Heart Health Check with a GP

By adjusting your lifestyle, you can significantly reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.

Monash Victorian Heart Institute

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