Monash researchers awarded Heart Foundation funding to tackle Australia’s biggest killer
Nine Monash University researchers have secured new Heart Foundation research grants for 2025, supporting innovative projects that aim to reduce the burden of heart disease - the leading cause of death in Australia.
The Heart Foundation has announced 67 new research projects nationally, with more than $1.28 million awarded to Monash-led studies spanning clinical, translational and early-career research.
Monash awardees include recipients across the Foundation’s Future Leader, Vanguard, Postgraduate, and Collaboration and Exchange programs, highlighting the depth and breadth of cardiovascular expertise across the university ecosystem.
“Monash is proud to partner with the Heart Foundation in driving discoveries that improve how we prevent, detect and treat heart disease,” said Professor Stephen Nicholls, Director of the Victorian Heart Institute and Victorian Heart Hospital at Monash University.
“These awards recognise not only outstanding investigators but the power of collaboration between our clinicians, scientists and the community we serve.”
Monash University 2025 Heart Foundation Recipients
Grant type | Recipient | Project title |
Future Leader Fellowship – Level 1 | A/Prof Nitesh Nerlekar | Leveraging mammograms for the early identification of cardiovascular risk: a 2-for-1 benefit using established screening programs |
Vanguard Grant | Dr Beth Allison | Targeting Neonatal Cardiac Fibrosis in Growth Restriction: A Preclinical Study of Postnatal Pirfenidone Therapy |
Dr Luke Perry | PUMA-2: A multicentre adaptive trial of pulmonary vs central venous catheters in cardiac surgery | |
Prof Graeme Polglase | Optimising vasopressor therapy during cardiopulmonary resuscitation of asphyxiated newborns | |
Postgraduate Scholarship | Francis Ha | Effects of pulsed field ablation on epicardial adipose tissue in atrial fibrillation |
Emilia Nan Tie | Haemodynamic and metabolic determinants of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction | |
Sarang Paleri | IMPACT-AI: Personalising coronary artery disease management using CT and AI | |
Sheran Vasanthakumar | Breast arterial calcification-informed cardiovascular risk assessment | |
Collaboration and Exchange Grant | A/Prof Connie Wong | ISTH 2026 conference and lab visit at Università di Bologna |
Among this year’s highlights, Associate Professor Nitesh Nerlekar, cardiologist and Deputy Director of the Victorian Heart Institute, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Professor Paul Korner Award - recognising the two most innovative male Fellowship recipients nationally.
Associate Professor Nerlekar’s project explores how routine mammograms could be leveraged to detect cardiovascular risk early, offering a “two-for-one” opportunity to protect women’s health through established screening programs.
These grants will support advances in early detection, neonatal and maternal heart health, artificial intelligence, and the integration of women’s health screening with cardiovascular prevention.
Heart disease remains a leading cause of death in Australia, responsible for one in four lives lost each year. The Heart Foundation has funded cardiovascular research for more than 60 years, investing over half a billion dollars to date.
A full list of 2025 awards can be found here.