Heart Research

Helping patients and their families manage heart disease

The Heart Research group at MCRI is dedicated to improving the lives of children with congenital and acquired heart conditions. 

Our work spans laboratory science, clinical care, and preventative health, with a strong focus on translating discoveries into better outcomes for patients and families.

Our research focus

We investigate many aspects of cardiovascular health in children, drawing on the diverse expertise of our multidisciplinary team.

Our research includes:

  • World-leading expertise in cardiovascular function assessment: Acquired both through animal studies and cells, we use both invasive and non-invasive techniques to better understand congenital and acquired heart disease. Our expertise spans from cellular studies to whole-organ models.

  • Cord blood stem cells and pluripotent stem cells: Our projects use cord blood stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells – those generated from adult cells – through collaboration with laboratory researchers at MCRI.

  • Congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathy: Our epidemiology research has informed the management of paediatric cardiomyopathy and the Fontan circulation in addition to many other congenital heart conditions.

  • Myocardial protection: The study of myocardial protection through ischemic preconditioning is a major focus of our research, in particular the changes with maturation and applicability in children with complex heart disease.

Lifelong care for congenital heart disease

Thanks to advances in paediatric cardiology, more children with complex heart conditions are surviving into adulthood. Our team is actively involved in the care and research of this growing population, aiming to:

  • Understand the unique physiology of the adult congenital heart
  • Develop new treatments to improve long-term health and quality of life.

From lab to clinic: rapid translation

Our close collaboration between clinicians and scientists ensures that research findings are quickly translated into clinical practice. This partnership also helps identify new areas of clinical need that can be explored through laboratory investigation.