Life-saving heart research
This year we're awarding $4.1 million of funding for heart research and specialist training for New Zealand cardiologists.
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Heart health equity for Māori
New research projects aim to improve heart health for Māori.
Identifying heart failure risk factors in kaumātua, creating a road map for achieving equity, and investigating how whānau-led, community-based cardiac rehabilitation can lead to improved Māori health outcomes are some of the exciting projects underway as a result of new funding.
Heart Foundation Medical Director Dr Gerry Devlin says improving equity in Māori health is a priority. “We need to invest in more community initiatives across Aotearoa New Zealand, which are designed by Māori for Māori, to make the progress we need to make over the next decade.
Read about the researchNew pacemaker a ‘game changer’ for heart failure treatment
Could a newly developed pacemaker reverse the decline of failing hearts?
Dr David Crossman is using a state-of-the-art microscope to investigate the benefits of a new potentially life-saving pacemaker, that mimics a natural heart rhythm that’s prominent in elite athletes but lost in people with heart disease.
“This will give new insight into how this pacemaker works and hopefully aid the development of treatments to reverse the decline in heart muscle function which occurs in heart failure,” he says.
Read about David’s research
DNA and genetics to predict heart attack risk
Dr Anna Pilbrow has been awarded the Heart Foundation’s inaugural Foundation100 Fellowship.
Anna’s two-year research project will use DNA and genetics to identify people at risk of heart attacks and heart failure.
“Findings from this research have the potential to reduce the number and duration of hospital admissions for heart attacks and acute heart failure,” Anna says.
Read about Anna’s fellowship‘Living drugs’ to repair damaged heart tissue
This research looks at a heart attack treatment that could increase longevity and quality of life for New Zealanders with heart disease.
Dr Xiaolin (Steven) Cui is investigating a new way of repairing damaged heart tissue, using a new treatment similar to stem cell therapy.
“If it’s successful, this treatment could be given to people following a heart attack to stop them getting heart failure and result in longer lifetimes and better quality of life,” says Steven.
Read about Steven’s research