Vascular Biology Research

Cardiovascular disease relates to disease of the heart and blood vessels. It is considered to be the leading cause of death world-wide - 30% of deaths world-wide occur as a result of cardiovascular disease according to the World Health Organisation, and 34% of deaths in Australia.

Cardiovascular disease includes coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure, arteriosclerosis, and hypertension. The leading cause of death in Australia in 2008 was coronary heart disease which results from insufficient blood supply to the heart generally due to blocked arteries around the heart (coronary arteries); this can cause angina (chest pain), heart attack, and death.

Research within the Vascular Biology Group incorporates a mixture of basic and clinical science aimed at understanding, preventing and treating CAD and its complications including heart attack and cardiac death.

Areas of interest within the group include:

Investigation of Mediators of Inflammation - Details here

Platelet and Leukocyte Activation and Interactions within CAD - Details here

Gene Targeting for Heart Attack - Details here

Novel Intravascular Imaging Using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) - Details here

Novel Measures of Haemostatic Function in CAD - Details here

Venous Thromboembolism - Details here

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Subclinical Cardiac Dysfunction - Details here

Risk Stratification in Infective Endocarditis - Details here

Choice of Health Options In Preventing Cardiac Events (CHOICE Study) - Details here