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The original vision for the creation of the Heart Research Institute was to create NSW's first medical research institute dedicated to the detection, prevention and treatment of heart disease.

On 17th March 1989, the Heart Research Institute (HRI) was created as a financially autonomous medical research institute, to exist in the supportive environments of The University of Sydney and The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The Institute was spearheaded by cardiologists at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital led by David Richmond. This institute's model would allow scientists to be inspired by the challenges encountered at the patient's bedside, whilst also giving them access to the multidisciplinary capabilities of a major university.

Now 30 years on, this model is more relevant than ever. Integrating medical research with the delivery of health services has become a mantra for how contemporary medical research institutes should organise themselves for translational impact and improved public health outcomes.

Today HRI has more than 190 per­son­nel, work­ing in 14 sci­en­tif­ic groups and sup­port­ed by an oper­a­tions team, with over 800 col­lab­o­ra­tions across 44 countries.

Achievements

2024

Developing a world-first alternative to heart transplants, using minihearts and 3D bioprinting.

2024

Piloting wearable technology for atrial fibrillation detection for Aboriginal people in primary care.

2023

Established Australia’s first Fluxomics Centre devoted to identifying and exploring the cellular changes that are unique to each individual’s cardiovascular disease.

2021

Established the first Australian New Zealand Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Registry to improve CHD over the life-course.

2019

Co-developed new camera technology to screen the faces of multiple people at a time, for atrial fibrillation.

2018

Discovered mechanisms underlying TRAIL and shown it can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels and dramatically improve blood flow to the limbs, offering hope to people with peripheral artery disease.

2017

Discovered a molecule that can predict who is most at risk of developing diabetes, 12 years in advance.

2013

Uncovered the link between diabetes and CVD, a world-first and a discovery with the potential to save lives.

2012

Discovered a way to identify the one in three patients at risk of suffering heart damage after undergoing angioplasty, a simple procedure to unclog blocked arteries.

2005

Demonstrated that low-birth weight babies have thicker aortic walls, possibly predisposing them to greater risk of CVD later in life.

2003

Investigated the role high-density lipoproteins ‘LDL’ (good cholesterol) plays in the protection against atherosclerosis.

1999

Explored whether natural antioxidants such as vitamins E and C can actually prevent atherosclerosis, helping to elucidate the role of these vitamins.

1998

Discovered that both protein and fat oxidation can have a major effect on heart disease and enter previously uncharted territory as we try to understand how protein oxidation can actually be prevented.

1995

Proved the link between passive smoking and heart disease, research that became pivotal in the global move to ban smoking in public places.

1982

Discovered the role cholesterylester transfer protein plays on cholesterol levels, leading to the development of new cholesterol drugs.