Heart Foundation Future Leader fellowship for Dr Holly Voges

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s (MCRI) Dr Holly Voges has received funding to advance her stem cell research into finding better treatments for rheumatic heart disease in children.

Dr Voges was awarded the Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship for her research project which is using a new stem cell model of heart valve tissue to help improve outcomes for children with rheumatic heart disease.

Affecting 40 million people worldwide, rheumatic heart disease causes irreversible damage to the heart valves, which can lead to heart failure and death. The disease occurs when the heart valves have been permanently damaged by rheumatic fever.

In Australia, 92 per cent of all cases affect our Indigenous population. Despite rheumatic heart disease almost being eradicated in Australia, First Nations children still have the world's highest rates of the preventable, chronic condition.

Image: Dr Holly Voges 

“To eliminate rheumatic heart disease, our team at MCRI is working in partnership with First Nations communities to develop new treatments to repair and regenerate the heart,” Dr Voges said.

“To help better understand this disease, we will use the world’s first 3D human heart valve tissue engineered in the lab from human stem cells. 

“Using this cutting-edge technique, we will grow models of heart valve tissue to help identify medicines that could heal the heart in patients with rheumatic heart disease.”

Dr Voges said the funding would help advance her research and hopefully prevent early death from rheumatic heart disease in childhood.

The Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship, which supports aspiring leaders, builds on a Heart Foundation Vanguard Grant Dr Voges received last year.

Learn more about Dr Voges’ Stem Cell research.