Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute

12/01/2026

The future of heart and diabetes research just got brighter. We've welcomed four brilliant minds who secured NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarships — a testament to the calibre of talent choosing to shape tomorrow's breakthroughs with us.

⭐ Sylvia Ye will advance care for adults living with type 1 diabetes — refining how we classify and manage blood sugar levels and cardiovascular complications.

⭐ Beryl Lin aims to improve heart and kidney outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes, exploring how breakthrough medications like SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists work in the real world.

⭐ Danielle Robinson will develop a novel treatment to help prevent stroke — creating the next generation of clot-busting therapies.

⭐Emilia Nan Tie is focussed on uncovering what drives heart failure in people living with obesity — because understanding the 'why' is the first step to finding better solutions.

These aren't just students. They're the researchers who will help rewrite what's possible.
 

10/01/2026

Think heart palpitations, breathlessness or light-headedness are simply signs of a hangover? Perhaps. But they are also signs of holiday heart syndrome, or alcohol-induced atrial fibrillation.

Professor Peter Kistler explains more with ABC Sydney's Tim Webster.

Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist, Prof. Peter Kistler from the Melbourne Heart Group joined Tim Webster to discuss Holiday Heart Syndrome.

08/01/2026

"These tiny bubbles could change everything. One day, we might not just detect heart disease early — we might even use them to repair damaged hearts. That's what gets me out of bed in the morning."

Dr Alin Rai on their groundbreaking work mapping extracellular vesicles which could lead to early diagnosis of disease and new therapies.

There has been lots of excitement about this research!

https://baker.edu.au/news/media-releases/bloodstream-extracellular-vesicles

07/01/2026

This new year, even the smallest changes — a walk around the block, swapping one ingredient, taking five minutes to breathe — can move the needle on blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.

Our experts have simple, at-home exercises to keep you moving. Because progress doesn't need to be perfect. It just needs to start.

https://baker.edu.au/health-hub/keep-it-moving

06/01/2026

We're celebrating four exciting new research projects funded by National Health Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Ideas Grants. These grants that are worth more than $5 million will enable us to pursue bold ideas that could transform how we prevent and treat cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

⭐ Professor Judy de Haan will develop new techniques to improve heart function for people with diabetes after a heart attack.

⭐ Dr Patrick Lelliott will investigate plastic pollution's impact on heart health.

⭐ Dr Jun Okabe will aim to stop long-term blood vessel damage in people with diabetes

⭐ And Professor Brian Oldenburg will develop innovative digital platforms connecting people to life-changing support.

Huge congrats to all!

https://baker.edu.au/news/institute-news/baker-institute-secures-$5m

03/01/2026

Nicholas Lyall is sharing his story to help others understand the need to protect your heart during cancer treatment.

Nick's journey started five years ago when his daughter was a toddler and he had to spend eight months in treatment for leukaemia. Nick endured multiple rounds of chemotherapy before needing radiotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. All this treatment cured Nick but left him struggling to even walk ten metres.

He got involved in our study to determine if staying active through an exercise program could help rebuild his fitness and protect his heart from damage.

Now Nick's cancer-free and says he’s fitter than ever and can train at the gym, play footy, and swim with his daughter.

02/01/2026

Erin Boyle has spent over 20 years championing diabetes research and clinical trials, and has type 1 diabetes herself. Erin says, “Being involved in research gives me hope. I see firsthand the innovations that could improve my own future and the lives of others with diabetes.

When I started managing my diabetes at 14, I used urine tests and syringes. Now I use automated insulin delivery with Continuous Glucose Monitors — it’s been a remarkable transformation in accuracy, safety, and freedom.” Recently, Erin has been involved in cutting-edge research for an artificial pancreas.

Institute news

01/01/2026

As we make our New Year's resolutions, Daryl Mitchell shares 'what it’s really like to live with T1D — the challenges, the resilience, and the moments I never could have planned for. I’m so grateful for the chance to tell my story, and I hope it helps others feel seen, supported, and inspired.'

Daryl developed type 1 diabetes at the age of 49. Our research shows the face of type 1 diabetes is changing and the number of older adults with type 1 diabetes is growing.

🎥 Check out Daryl’s story brought to you with the help from our friends at The Content Engine.

29/12/2025

We look at obesity as being a problem that is caused by our given set of genetics, responding to the world we live in today. So, we're all born with a certain set of genes, and some people are at higher risk for obesity in our current way of life because of the genes they inherited.

Our message to anyone who's struggling with obesity is that we're making major inroads into trying to understand how these genes are impacting you. This research has enabled us to develop what could be a new treatment in the future.

When used together with exercise and a healthy diet, this genetic knowledge could more comprehensively address obesity for longer term health benefits.

26/12/2025

In 2025, we launched our five-year strategic plan. It's a bold, ambitious plan to transform the health landscape.

To create a heathier future🌏for us all, it outlines how we will:

⭐champion global collaboration
⭐embrace cutting-edge technology
⭐elevate community engagement.

You can read more here

This plan comes at an exciting time for us. For nearly a century, the Baker Institute has led the change in innovation, changing lives along the way.

23/12/2025

Chris has survived two heart attacks. This Christmas, he’s holding his family close and cherishing every moment.

Your support can help fund research to rebuild hearts and give more people more Christmases with those they love.

Give people more time.

https://give.baker.edu.au/?utm_source=FBO&utm_content=C16

23/12/2025

When we support people to address obesity, we reduce the risks for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. As Professor Brian Drew says, we're in the process of developing a new drug that works differently to current anti-obesity medications, which targets another pathway that has similar impacts on obesity.

In future, this could be an alternative option that people could take for sustained weight loss benefit. Or, if they're on a certain drug that is not working so well, or it's causing side effects, we could provide an alternative therapy that helps people kickstart a change in lifestyle and reduce their disease risk now and for many years down the track.