Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute

Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute Australia's home of heart research, dedicated to finding cures for cardiovascular disease You can help us find cures for Australia’s leading cause of death.

Heart disease is the number one killer of all Australians, claiming the lives of 24 people every single day. An estimated 1.2 million Australian adults aged 18 years and over had 1 or more conditions related to heart or vascular disease. At the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Australia’s Home of Heart Research, we know how important it is to be part of the community that shares in the stories of heart disease, creating awareness of its prevalence , the latest research underway and the major medical breakthroughs. This is your Community Page and we encourage you to be part of the conversation. However, please be aware that you must abide by Facebook’s Community Standards (https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards) and Australian Privacy laws. Facebook automatically reviews, hides, and flags content, which is deemed inappropriate, or makes other community members feel unsafe or disrespected. Such inappropriate material includes, but is not limited to, offensive, hateful, irrelevant, spam; any content which portrays/condones the consumption of addictive or illicit substances and activities; and/or misleading, unsubstantiated medical and scientific claims. Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute also reserves the right to hide or delete comments, or permanently ban any participant who fails to adhere to these Community Guidelines. Please understand that community comments posted to this page do not represent the opinions of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. Make your contribution to heart research here: http://bit.ly/1V55e8t

in 1957, a major milestone in cardiac history was made. Australasia’s first successful open-heart surgery using cardio...
26/03/2026

in 1957, a major milestone in cardiac history was made. Australasia’s first successful open-heart surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass was carried out at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne by Dr Kenneth Morris. The first patient was just two years old.

Just days later, six-year-old Trevor Murray underwent the second operation and became known as the “Heart Miracle Boy”.

Breakthroughs like this helped shape the future of heart surgery and save countless lives. As we look ahead, these moments also remind us why continued support for heart research matters.

25/03/2026

The Schute Bell Charity Steer is to be Auctioned Thursday 2nd April 2026 during the Young Auctioneer Competition and Steer Auction starting at 1pm at the Sydney Royal Easter Show
‘Supple Basil’ Hereford Steer - Bred by Rumbel Family Supple Whiteface Guyra
Processing Donated by Western Sydney Meat Worx
Prepared by PLC Armidale Cattle Team
Proceeds will be donated to the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute

A potential game‑changer in heart attack treatment is now in the national spotlight, with The Australian covering ground...
25/03/2026

A potential game‑changer in heart attack treatment is now in the national spotlight, with The Australian covering groundbreaking research led by Professor Kazuaki Negishi. The trial shows ultrasound could be used earlier – even by paramedics – to help save heart muscle during a heart attack. For the 57,000 Australians affected each year, the approach could mean less pain, shorter hospital stays and better long‑term recovery, with trials already showing 30 per cent more heart muscle saved.

Read the article online: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/health/medical/new-gamechanger-heart-attack-treatment-saves-dying-muscle/news-story/bc3faca85c5f1aaba98f22836659e5e0

Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research

23/03/2026

Resource spotlight | check it out this Heart Health / Marfan Awareness Month.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) is an uncommon — but increasingly recognised — cause of heart attack, particularly in younger women without traditional cardiac risk factors. Episodes like this help unpack the clinical nuances clinicians and patients need to know.

While most SCAD cases are not caused by a single gene condition — and Fibromuscular Dysplasia being a more common cause — a small proportion are linked to inherited connective tissue disorders — including rarer HCTDs such as Marfan syndrome and vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS). Understanding these overlaps matters for earlier recognition, genetic assessment, and safer long-term management.

We’re grateful to see this conversation from 2025, led by , patient advocacy organisation and Prof Jason Kovacic, Clinician Cardiologist and CEO of the - whose work is advancing Australian research into SCAD and vascular biology — helping bridge cardiology, genomics and rare disease communities.

🎧 If you’re part of the rarer HCTD community — especially Marfan, or vEDS — this episode offers valuable clinical context around:

• why SCAD can present differently from typical heart disease
• links with connective tissue integrity and vessel fragility
• the importance of awareness across cardiology and primary care

💬 As we inch closer to February 28th, Rare Disease Day - at CTDNA, we want to highlight conversations like this that strengthen understanding across rare disease, research and lived experience — helping ensure rarer vascular events and manifestations aren’t overlooked.

🔗 Watch via:

https://youtu.be/jVVYtiV3yio?si=RDOq5zsUznJBFLoM

Most Australians have never heard of Lp(a) but this type of ‘bad’ cholesterol could be behind many heart attacks and run...
23/03/2026

Most Australians have never heard of Lp(a) but this type of ‘bad’ cholesterol could be behind many heart attacks and runs in families. Find out if you should get tested this Lp(a) awareness day:
https://www.victorchang.edu.au/news/lpa-test

According to new research published in European Heart Journal, mammograms could be used to predict heart disease risk at...
22/03/2026

According to new research published in European Heart Journal, mammograms could be used to predict heart disease risk at the same time as screening for breast cancer. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in women yet frequently misdiagnosed. New AI-analysis of mammograms opens the possibility to assess the build up calcification in breast arteries - a marker strongly linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.

Learn more: https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/mammograms-could-help-predict-heart-disease-risk-researchers-say

in 2002, the Institute's Professor Anne Keogh led a team that trialled a new treatment for pulmonary arterial hyperten...
20/03/2026

in 2002, the Institute's Professor Anne Keogh led a team that trialled a new treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH). Up until then, PH rapidly caused death from severe heart failure. Results published in The New England Journal of Medicine revealed that the drug bosentan slowed the disease's progression and improved symptoms. This was the first drug for PH, proven in a formal drug trial, to benefit PH patients. This important study led to the drug being added to the PBS.

Plan your Will for free this March, leave a legacy. This Charity Wills Week, you can write your Will online for free tha...
19/03/2026

Plan your Will for free this March, leave a legacy. This Charity Wills Week, you can write your Will online for free thanks to our partnership with SafeWill. Safewill is one of Australia’s leading online Will-writing platforms. They make creating a legal Will simple, affordable, and secure - reviewed by their affiliate law firm for peace of mind.

Many Australians also choose to leave a small gift to causes they care about. At the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, gifts in Wills help power lifesaving heart research for years to come.

Planning your Will is one of the most important things you can do for the people you love. Get yours free this week: https://safewill.com/victorchang

SCAD is the leading cause of heart attacks in women under 50. Ava was just 17. When Ava started experiencing severe ches...
18/03/2026

SCAD is the leading cause of heart attacks in women under 50. Ava was just 17. When Ava started experiencing severe chest pain, she knew something was wrong. But getting answers wasn’t straightforward, and what followed was frightening for both Ava and her family.

She was eventually diagnosed with SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection), a rare and life-threatening tear in a coronary artery that can cause a heart attack. Now, Ava is helping researchers at Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute better understand SCAD and improve diagnosis for others.

“I don’t want anyone else to go through what I did,” Ava says. “If my story can help someone get diagnosed faster or even prevent SCAD in the future, then it’s worth it.”

Read her story: https://www.victorchang.edu.au/patients/ava-morrin

One year on. A moment that changed the future of heart care. in 2025, history was made when an Australian man became t...
12/03/2026

One year on. A moment that changed the future of heart care. in 2025, history was made when an Australian man became the first person in the world to leave hospital with a BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart — a groundbreaking device designed to completely replace the function of the human heart. The world‑first surgery was performed at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, before the patient went on to receive a donor heart transplant, marking an extraordinary milestone in the evolution of heart failure treatment.

The Institute’s Professor Christopher Hayward who played a pivotal role in this groundbreaking procedure says "Within the next decade we will see the artificial heart becoming the alternative for patients who are unable to wait for a donor heart or when a donor heart is simply not available."

Learn more about artificial hearts and the future of heart failure treatment:
https://www.victorchang.edu.au/artificial-hearts

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Discovering Cures for Heart Disease

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute is dedicated to finding cures for cardiovascular disease. Based in Australia, it has earned its place on the global stage as one of the most respected heart research facilities in the world.

Renowned for the quality of our breakthroughs, the Victor Chang Institute is striving to discover better ways to diagnose, treat and ultimately prevent the onset of heart disease.

Globally more than 17 million people die of cardiovascular disease every year. A life is lost to cardiovascular disease every 12 minutes in Australia, and three times more women die of heart disease than breast cancer. Every four hours a baby is also born with a heart defect. At the Victor Chang Institute, we have a team of more than 300 passionate scientists who use innovative research techniques and perform complex molecular and genetic analysis to create a world without heart disease. Our life-saving research is focused on heart attacks, stroke, heart transplantation, cardiac arrests, congenital heart disease, birth defects, inherited heart disease and stem cell therapies. You can help us find cures for Australia’s leading cause of death today. Donate Now: https://www.victorchang.edu.au/donate