Saliva tests, rare heart diseases and ICU tech: trio of A. H. Couch grants target heart disease

Published: 30 June 2026

New A. H. Couch Trust Heart Foundation Scholarships are backing three Kiwi-led projects that aim to detect heart disease earlier, personalise treatment and improve outcomes for New Zealanders most at risk.

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Micky Nguyen and Alice Cerdeira

Simple saliva test could help diagnose heart disease earlier in Kiwis

A simple saliva test could one day help doctors detect heart disease much earlier in New Zealanders, particularly those with diabetes, potentially saving lives and reducing pressure on the health system. 

University of Otago researcher Micky Nguyen has been awarded a 3-year A. H. Couch Trust Heart Foundation Scholarship to investigate whether a tiny genetic marker known as microRNA (miRNA) can be used to identify heart disease before symptoms appear. 

Heart disease is the single biggest killer in New Zealand, accounting for around a third of all deaths each year. More than 195,000 New Zealanders are living with diagnosed heart disease, which can develop slowly and go undetected until a major event such as a heart attack. 

“Heart disease is often detected too late,” Micky says. “We’re looking at whether saliva could provide a simple, non-invasive way to identify early warning signs before significant damage is done.” 

The study will compare saliva and blood samples from adults with diabetes who have no known heart disease, alongside healthy volunteers. Researchers will measure levels of specific miRNAs, naturally occurring genetic markers found in bodily fluids, to see whether distinct patterns can signal early-stage heart disease. 

While similar markers have been identified in blood, this research will investigate whether miRNAs can be readily detected in saliva, which would offer a painless and more accessible alternative to traditional testing. 

The study will also assess whether miRNA samples remain stable at room temperature. If successful, the research could open the door for new screening tools that make early detection easier, faster and more widely available.  

“Saliva kits could be used at home and mailed to laboratories, removing the need for clinical visits. It would benefit New Zealanders who face barriers to accessing healthcare, including those who fear needles, have limited mobility or are elderly. 

“Earlier detection means fewer severe heart events and reduced pressure on hospitals and emergency services, allowing people to be diagnosed and treated earlier when they are better able to make lasting lifestyle changes that protect their heart health and quality of life.”

Understanding rare heart muscle diseases across New Zealand

Dr Evelyn Lesiawan from Te Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumai Auckland has been awarded an A.H. Couch Trust Heart Foundation Scholarship to support research into rare heart muscle diseases that are often missed until serious damage has occurred.  

Heart disease is usually associated with blocked arteries, but there is a smaller group of conditions where the heart muscle is damaged by inflammation or by abnormal substances building up within it.  

These infiltrative heart muscle diseases, including cardiac sarcoidosis, are often hard to recognise because they may be silent early on and resemble more common problems. Many people are only diagnosed once scarring or serious heart rhythm issues have developed.  

New Zealand currently has no national understanding of who is affected, how these diseases are detected, or how outcomes vary across regions. 

Evelyn’s research will establish New Zealand’s first national cohort study, bringing together real-world clinical data to improve understanding, diagnosis and care.  

This research aims to shift care earlier, reduce preventable complications and lay the foundation for coordinated national care for New Zealanders with rare heart muscle diseases. 

She will also look at whether advanced analysis of a standard electrocardiogram could help detect cardiac sarcoidosis earlier, before life-threatening rhythm problems develop. 

“If successful, it could mean fewer hospitalisations, fewer life-threatening events, and better long-term health and wellbeing for patients and their families,” Evelyn says.

ICU heart modelling takes guesswork out of critical care decisions

University of Canterbury PhD student Alice Cerdeira has been awarded an A. H. Couch Trust Heart Foundation Scholarship to investigate how to make intensive care treatment for critically ill heart patients safer and more precise. 

Using data already collected in ICU, Alice is working on a real-time computer model of the heart and circulation that can predict how a patient will respond to fluids and blood pressure medicines. 

Instead of relying on additional tests, clinicians would be able to see whether someone is likely to benefit from more treatment or be harmed by it, using the already available data. 

The approach could improve care for critical conditions such as septic shock and cardiogenic shock by supporting faster, more informed decisions in real time. 

“When fluid is given to a patient who is not fluid responsive, it can strain the body, prolong ICU stay and increase mortality risk,” Alice says. 

“This research method could predict fluid responsiveness before fluids are given. The model provides targeted, personalised treatment that can estimate stressed blood volume and other factors to determine whether a certain treatment will reduce or increase unnecessary stress on the heart. 

“Tailoring care to each patient’s unique physiology has the potential to reduce complications like fluid overload, cut costs, shorten ICU stays, and improve survival rates and recovery.” 

By helping clinicians make faster, more informed decisions, the model could ease pressure on ICU resources while improving consistency of cardiac care across the health system. 

A. H. Couch Trust legacy

The Heart Foundation and the A. H. Couch Trust are working in partnership to support promising cardiology trainees and researchers who are carrying out heart research in Aotearoa New Zealand.  

The A. H. Couch Trust was established in 1972 through the generosity of the late Arthur Herbert Couch after he survived a serious heart attack.