New Heart Foundation grant funds research across workforce

Published: 29 September 2026

A grant for nurses and allied healthcare is funding research to improve care for people with pacemakers and prevent heart disease in Pacific women.

A new Heart Foundation grant is funding two separate research projects that could strengthen follow-up care for people with pacemakers and help prevent heart disease among Pacific women.

Specialist cardiac physiologist Amanda Scully and senior nurse Folole Fai are the inaugural recipients of the new Nurse and Allied Health Clinical Professionals Grant, which aims to make research funding available to a wider range of healthcare staff.

Heart Foundation Medical Director Dr Gerry Devlin says the new grant recognises that world-class heart care depends on collaboration across the entire health sector.

"It gives a wider range of healthcare professionals more opportunities to bring their specialist skills and close community connections to heart research, helping support patients at every stage," says Gerry.

Making the 'invisible work visible' in follow-up care for people with implanted cardiac devices

Amanda, who is completing a doctorate degree at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, has received Heart Foundation funding to investigate follow-up care for people living with implanted cardiac devices, including pacemakers and ICDs (implantable cardioverter defibrillators).

These devices are used to treat irregular heart rhythms and help prevent cardiac death.

Her research will explore whether access to cardiac device care varies across Aotearoa New Zealand and whether current services are keeping pace with demand.

"More people are living longer with implanted cardiac devices, and device technology and remote monitoring capabilities are advancing quickly," says Amanda.

"All these factors are leading to a cumulative increase in the demand for, and complexity of, follow-up services."

After a device is fitted, follow-up care takes place in person or via remote monitoring and will usually continue for the rest of a person's life. Specialist cardiac physiologists provide much of this follow-up care, working alongside other health professionals to check that devices are functioning properly.

"Once you have these devices, you're also very much linked with us for any other healthcare procedures you may need, such as surgery or an MRI scan. There's a lot of work that goes on in the background to ensure that patients can have those procedures, and they're done safely," says Amanda.

"This study is about making that invisible work visible."

Heart Foundation Medical Director Dr Gerry Devlin says Amanda's research is likely to help improve follow-up services for people living with implanted cardiac devices and make care more coordinated and connected.

Nurse-led study focuses on preventing heart disease in Pacific women

With more than 40 years' experience caring for people in her community, senior registered nurse Folole Fai has become increasingly concerned about the number of younger Pacific women developing heart disease.

Many are unaware they have high blood pressure (hypertension), one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease, until they experience a heart attack or stroke.

"Many of the women I have nursed had no symptoms and only discovered they had high blood pressure when they were seen at a clinic to have their blood pressure checked or when acutely presented to hospital after having a cardiovascular event," says Folole.

This has inspired Folole's doctorate degree research at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, where she will investigate Pacific women's knowledge and understanding of hypertension as a heart disease risk factor.

As part of the project, Folole also hopes to identify ways health professionals can better support Pacific women to understand high blood pressure and the importance of regular heart health checks.

"Through this research, I want to support the introduction of better prevention strategies and programmes, helping to reduce the burden of hypertension and, consequently, heart disease for Pacific women, their families and their communities," says Folole.