Monash Victorian Heart Institute

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

⏰ It’s happening next week! Don’t miss your chance to join us. If you want to unlock the potential of AI in healthcare without compromising safety or trust this masterclass will show you how. Whether you're in health IT, clinical care, digital health, research or innovation, you'll walk away with: • Clear, practical frameworks for evaluating and deploying GenAI • Real examples of what “responsible AI” looks like in hospitals and research settings • Hands-on insights you can start applying straight away • Confidence to engage with the next wave of digital transformation in healthcare 🔗 Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/ggmWwwT9

What’s your cholesterol saying? (click through to find out!) 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.

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 clinician-scientist community, the depth 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

Step into the future of healthcare innovation with Monash Velos Accelerator x Monash AI Institute masterclass on Building Trustworthy Generative AI — an inspiring, one-day experience designed to equip you with the vision, tools and confidence to harness AI safely, ethically and impactfully in clinical and research settings. 📅 5 December 2025 | 🕒 9:00am–4:30pm 📍 Attend in person (with lunch & networking) or online via Zoom Featuring experts from Changi General Hospital, Singapore — Dr Srinath Sridharan, Narayan Venkataraman, Prof. Derek Chew and Prof. Shonali Krishnaswamy— this hands-on masterclass explores practical frameworks for evaluating, deploying and governing responsible generative AI in real-world settings. 🔗 Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/ggmWwwT9

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

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 Monash 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

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 Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation and Hudson Institute of Medical Research 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.

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