Cardiologists to learn latest life-saving procedures overseas

Published: 29 September 2026

Heart Foundation grants will support two cardiologists to expand access to less invasive treatments and advanced heart imaging in New Zealand.

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Two early-career cardiologists will train at leading hospitals overseas to learn the latest life-saving innovations in heart procedures, thanks to the support of Heart Foundation Overseas Training and Research Fellowships.

Since 1970, the Heart Foundation has supported more than 115 emerging cardiologists and heart researchers to learn from leaders in their fields at respected hospitals around the world. They have returned home with cutting-edge expertise that has transformed the way heart disease is diagnosed, treated and managed in New Zealand.

Heart Foundation Medical Director Dr Gerry Devlin says the grants are helping clinicians fast-track advances in heart health and support New Zealand's health system to keep up with international practice.

"With the support of the Heart Foundation's overseas fellowships, our clinicians are exposed to the groundbreaking techniques and technologies that are revolutionising treatment overseas and saving lives," says Gerry.

"They return home better equipped to lead technical advances in cardiology, introduce new models of care, and ultimately support New Zealanders living with heart disease to live full lives."

Cardiologist to study better treatment options for adults with congenital heart disease

With the support of a Heart Foundation overseas fellowship, Auckland-based interventional cardiology fellow Dr Tim Oh will travel to Toronto General Hospital. There he will investigate how to improve long-term care for adults born with heart conditions who are now living longer than ever before.

Due to advances in heart treatments for babies and children, more people born with congenital heart conditions are reaching adulthood. They often need lifelong specialist care to support their heart health.

"Because of the success of paediatric cardiac surgery and interventions, we now have an increasingly large number of people who are the survivors of congenital heart disease and have now reached adulthood," says Tim.

"As they grow older, some develop complex problems that require highly specialised care."

Tim says one example is caring for adults who underwent open heart surgery as children and later develop problems with the pulmonary valve in their heart. Because replacement valves wear out over time, some people may need multiple procedures during their lifetime.

"For someone born with congenital heart disease, we have to think about their heart care over an entire lifetime. Every additional open-heart operation carries risks, so if we can safely replace a failing valve through a catheter and avoid or delay another major operation, that can make a real difference to patients."

In Toronto, Tim will learn techniques that allow some people to have their pulmonary valve replaced using a catheter. In this procedure, doctors thread the new valve through a blood vessel, usually from the groin or arm, and position it in the heart without opening the chest.

"What's exciting is that these technologies are continuing to evolve. People who could not previously be treated this way are increasingly becoming eligible for less invasive procedures," says Tim.

After the fellowship, Tim plans to return to New Zealand where he will help to expand access to these procedures and enable more people living with congenital heart disease to benefit from world-leading treatment.

Smarter heart imaging to support more timely treatment

Dr Amy Colclough, a newly trained cardiologist from Dunedin Hospital, is completing a year-long fellowship at the University of Leeds in England to research and gain skills in a rapidly emerging area in heart imaging.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a new cardiac MRI technique that uses specialised magnetic field pulses to see the heart muscle in microscopic detail. In research, it may help clinicians diagnose heart disease earlier and pinpoint the right moment to make a life-saving heart intervention.

In Leeds, Amy is using this advanced technology to scan the hearts of people living with aortic stenosis. This is a condition where the valve that lets blood leave the heart stiffens and narrows, restricting blood flow to the rest of the body and damaging the heart muscle.

To treat aortic stenosis, clinicians replace the valve with surgery or a transcatheter procedure, and timing is crucial. If treatment happens too late, heart damage may not be reversible and people may not recover as well, even after receiving a new valve.

"These advanced imaging tools add further evidence to say, 'this is the right time to go for an intervention'," says Amy. "Better timed aortic valve intervention means patients do better, leading healthier and longer lives."

After the fellowship, Amy plans to return to New Zealand and help more people living with heart disease access more advanced imaging technology, especially in rural communities. She also plans to teach cardiac MRI to the next generation of cardiologists.

"Cardiac MRI use is rapidly extending in the literature, with this year's international guidelines recognising it as a 'cornerstone' in cardiovascular diagnostics. The Heart Foundation's support means I can become accredited in cardiac MRI and eventually broaden access to this technology across New Zealand."

In 2026, the Heart Foundation has also awarded an overseas fellowship to Dr Rahul Gandhi. Read more about their research here.