Wednesday, 5 August 2026
Government House Sydney
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

I have a tradition of greeting guests in the language of the Gadigal, Traditional Owners of this land – Gadigal Ngura…

Bujari Gamarruwa

Diyn Babana, Gamarada

In doing so, I pay my respects to Gadigal Elders past, present, and emerging.

Normally, I would begin my remarks by acknowledging the important people in attendance – careful not to miss anyone out or, even worse, to put them in the wrong order.

Tonight, I refrain because with 4 parliamentarians,^[1] a former Minister,^[2] at least 20 doctors, close to 40 professors, as well as those whose work for, or in support of, the Heart Foundation, it would be but a roll call. Thank you all for coming as we recognise the impact of the NSW Cardiovascular Research Network, particularly through the support of the Heart Foundation. 

CVD affects more than 4.5 million Australians at any one time – around a sixth of our population.^[3] Every minute, an Australian is hospitalised with CVD; every 12 minutes, it claims a life; accounting for a quarter of all Australian deaths.^[4]

While these figures are concerning, they are a significant improvement on previous decades – with deaths attributable to CVD having decreased by approximately 80% since the 1980s.^[5] This has been due to various factors, all of which are attributable in one form or another to research – right down to what we should eat and how many steps we should take in a day. Important as those factors are, it is a simplistic take on the depth and breadth of cardiovascular research.

In an attempt to capture something of the work out there at the moment, I looked at the research being undertaken at the Centenary Institute, the Garvan, and the Universities of Sydney and NSW. 

Listing that research in no particular order and without direct attribution, in deference to all of the wonderful researchers in the room: 

• The discovery of a previously unrecognised genetic cause of sudden cardiac death in young people – found to be due in about 1% of cases from “a repeat expansion in the DMPK gene” – statistically small but hugely significant to families – and to ongoing research.^[6]
• And in the same vein, but going interstate for a moment, Victoria has established a registry of unexplained cardiac arrest in young people.^[7]
• Both these initiatives are important given that sudden cardiac arrest in people aged 1 to 50 affects some 3000 individuals annually, with a 90% mortality rate.^[8]
• Pioneering research into heart regeneration – directed to developing therapies based on engineered proteins capable of repairing or regrowing damaged heart muscle cells.^[9]
• Research into the relationship between diabetes and cardiovascular health, in particular how diabetes reshapes heart muscle at the microscopic level^[10]
• Development of blood- based biomarkers and imaging strategies – to detect silent atherosclerotic plaque before warning signs occur^[11]
• Work in genomic diversity to at least minimise if not eliminate misclassification of gene variants due to missing non-European data.^[12]

This is a mere sampling of the research that is being carried out daily in our research institutes and universities and much more will occur.

Here in NSW, a key driver of cardiovascular research success has been the strong and enduring collaboration between NSW Health services, the Heart Foundation, and the NSW Cardiovascular Research Network (CVRN). For more than 20 years, this partnership has helped build a strong and connected cardiovascular research community. As I have heard it described, the NSW CVRN is the jewel in the crown of NSW medical research.

Last year, the Heart Foundation contributed $13 million to cardiovascular research in Australia, spanning diverse areas including precision medicine, stroke recovery, biomedical engineering, and community-led prevention. Nearly half of the funded researchers were from NSW^[13]… which gives some indication of the strength capability of the NSW research workforce. And today, the NSW Government announced a $14 million research boost directed to earlier detection and treatment of coronary artery disease. Professor Gemma Figtree is one of the 28 recipients of this particular research funding.^[14]

The research projects in train, or which are enabled by this and other funding, will undoubtedly shape the future of clinical practice and advance novel technologies, driving meaningful progress in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

It is an environment of cutting-edge expertise that not only supports our researchers here^[15] but also helps attract leading researchers to NSW from interstate and overseas,^[16] further cementing NSW’s position as a global leader in cardiovascular research.

The growth and achievements of the NSW CVRN – the oldest and largest cardiovascular research network in Australia^[17] – over the last 20 years, and its role in strengthening research capacity and capability, could not have been achieved without sustained support from, and partnerships with, Health services, the Heart Foundation, our universities, and our research institutes.

To all involved, I offer my warmest of congratulations and thanks.