July 2006

At the July meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group of the National Heart Foundation, a total of 34 grants were awarded. The awards included 9 Project Grants, 12 Fellowships/Scholarships, 3 Small Project Grants, 1 Grant-in-Aid and 9 Travel Grants. A total of 7 Summer Studentships were also awarded to the Medical Schools at the University of Otago and the University of Auckland.

PROJECT GRANTS

Dr Cliona Ni Mhurchu Clinical Trials Research Unit, School of Population Health, University of Auckland Nutrition labels: understanding and use by ethnicity and income in New Zealand $137,951 for 1 year.		Ms Anna Pilbrow Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago Genotype and gene expression in heart failure $99,781 for 2 years.
Dr Anthony Rodgers Clinical Trials Research Unit, School of Population Health, University of Auckland Are cardiovascular medication treatment gaps reducing? $52,374 for 6 months.		Professor Zoltan Endre Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago Monitoring progression of diabetic kidney and cardiac disease $109,342 for 1 year.
Dr Simon Hales Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago Seasonal patterns of cardiovascular disease in New Zealand $125,000 for 2 years.		Professor Mark Richards Christchurch Cardioendocrine Research Group, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago Renal impairment in decompensated heart failure $150,791 for 3 years.
Dr Natalie Walker Clinical Trials Research Unit, School of Population Health, University of Auckland Nicotine replacement therapy selection box trial $46,364 for 3 years.		Dr Rob MacGinley Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago Does a high salt diet lead to a rapid deterioration in vascular compliance? $105,482 for 2 years.
Dr Ralph Maddison Clinical Trials Research Unit, School of Population Health, University of Auckland Environmental influences on nutrition and physical activity in New Zealand children $70,000 for 1 year.

Project Abstracts

FELLOWSHIPS

Dr Nicolaas van Pelt
An Overseas Training Fellowship (for 1 year) was awarded to Dr Nicolaas (Niels) van Pelt who will work as a Cardiovascular Imaging and Research Fellow at the Thorax Centrum in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Dr Madhav Menon
An Overseas Training Fellowship (for 1 year) was awarded to Dr Madhav Menon who will work as an Interventional Cardiology and Research Fellow in Coronary Angiography at the Minneapolis Heart Institute, USA.

Dr Sandhir Prasad
An Overseas Training Fellowship (for 1 year) was awarded to Dr Sandhir Prasad who will work as an Interventional Cardiology Fellow at Vancouver Hospital, Canada.

Ms Hannah Badland
A Research Fellowship (for 3 years) was awarded to Ms Hannah Badland who is currently employed in the Centre for Physical Activity & Nutrition Research, Auckland University of Technology.

Dr Ralph Maddison
A Research Fellowship (for 3 years) was awarded to Dr Ralph Maddison who is currently employed in the Clinical Trials Research Unit, School of Population Health, University of Auckland.

Dr Jay Ritzema-Carter
A Research Fellowship (for 3 years) was awarded to Dr Jay Ritzema-Carter who is currently employed in the Department of Cardiology, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Science, University of Otago.

Ms Katrina Poppe
A Postgraduate Scholarship (for 3 years) was awarded to Ms Katrina Poppe who is currently employed in the Departments of Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Auckland.

Miss Cynthia Hsu
A Postgraduate Scholarship (for 3 years) was awarded to Miss Cynthia Hsu who is currently employed in the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland.

Mr Christopher Booker
A Postgraduate Scholarship (for 3 years) was awarded to Mr Christopher Booker who is currently employed in the Edgar National Centre for Diabetes Research, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Otago.

Ms Katrina Ellis
A Postgraduate Scholarship (for 3 years) was awarded to Ms Katrina Ellis who is currently employed in the Christchurch Cardioendocrine Research Group, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago.

Ms Shirin Foroughian
A Postgraduate Scholarship (for 3 years) was awarded to Ms Shirin Foroughian who is currently employed in the Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics & Social and Community Health, School of Population Health, University of Auckland.

Mr Hamish Prosser
A Postgraduate Scholarship (for 3 years) was awarded to Mr Hamish Prosser who is currently employed in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury.

GRANT-IN-AID

Dr Sally Rose
Department of Primary Health Care & General Practice, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago
Women's Lifestyle Study - Maori and Pacific Cohort
$14,108 for 16 months.

SMALL PROJECT GRANTS

Dr John Irvine
Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago
Genes of the renin-angiotensin system, oxidative stress, diabetes and endothelial dysfunction as risk factors for cardiovascular disease
$14,969 for 1 year.

Associate Professor John Evans
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences,University of Otago
Sex steroids and secretion of vasoactive peptides
$11,641 for 6 months.

Dr Patrick Gladding
Cardiology Department, Auckland City Hospital
Herbal medication and aspirin study
$15,000 for 1 year.

TRAVEL GRANTS

Dr Cliona Ni Mhurchu Clinical Trials Research Unit, School of Population Health, University of Auckland 1 ^st World Congress of Public Health Nutrition, Barcelona, Spain		Dr Wendy Atkinson Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Canterbury Health Laboratories, CDHB Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 and One-Carbon Metabolism Research Conference, California, USA
Dr Vicky Cameron Christchurch Cardioendocrine Research Group, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago The American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago, USA\|		Ms Elizabeth Duncan Centre for Physical Activity & Nutrition Research, Auckland University of Technology 10 ^th International Congress on Obesity (ICO2006) and the Physical Activity & Obesity Conference (PAOC), Sydney, Australia
Dr Nicolaas van Pelt Erasmus MC, Thorax Centrum, Rotterdam The European Society of Cardiology/ World Congress of Cardiology Conference, Barcelona, Spain		Mr Akbar Ashrafi Department of Medicine, University of Auckland CSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting, Canberra, Australia
Mr James Duncan Centre for Physical Activity & Nutrition Research, Auckland University of Auckland 9 ^th International Congress of Behavioural Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand		Ms Emma Newall Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago CSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting, Canberra, Australia
Ms Gillian Whalley Department of Medicine, University of Auckland The European Society of Cardiology/ World Congress of Cardiology Conference, Barcelona, Spain