02/02/2026
From emergency surgery to prevention: rethinking aortic dissection
Aortic dissection remains one of the most devastating and unpredictable cardiovascular emergencies.
Alongside Nish*th Patel’s clinical work at Heart Surgeon Group, he leads a multidisciplinary research programme focused on understanding why aortic dissection occurs, how we can predict it earlier, and how we might prevent it altogether.
His research spans four key areas:
💚 Risk prediction: Developing national-scale risk prediction scores using large health datasets to identify patients at risk before catastrophe strikes.
💚 Pathophysiology: Studying blood pressure dynamics and novel therapeutic strategies to reduce aortic wall stress and dissection risk.
💚 Early detection: Using advanced imaging and radiomic technologies to move beyond diameter alone and better identify vulnerable aortas.
💚 Biology of dissection: Investigating the role of the endothelium and the coagulation cascade in triggering aortic dissection.
This work is delivered by a highly collaborative team, working closely with experts at the University of Auckland across physiology, population health and large-scale data science, bioengineering, and with clinical collaborators across New Zealand. The programme also supports and mentors a growing group of doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, building future leaders in cardiovascular science.
“I am honoured to be the recipient of the Foundation 100 Fellowship from the Heart Foundation of New Zealand, with additional support from Manaaki Manawa – Centre for Heart Research, the University of Auckland, and the Chinese Scholarship Council”, he says.
Our goal is clear: to shift aortic care from emergency surgery to prevention, improving outcomes for patients in New Zealand and beyond.
