Dr Patel is a cardiologist specialising in advanced heart failure, inherited heart muscle disease and cardiac devices. Vimal completed his cardiology training in 2019 which included sub-specialty fellowships in cardiac devices, advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation. He was awarded his postdoctoral research degree by University College London after completing his thesis which explored the role of fibrosis in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Vimal started his career as a cardiologist within the Inherited Heart Muscle disease unit at St Bart’s, London before moving to Western Australia where he has set up the Inherited Heart Muscle Disease programme at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Leigh joined the Board of the CMANZ in late 2022. She is a long term cardiomyopathy patient, having been diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) as a young child. After a lifetime of intervention, (including a myectomy at 17, multiple ICDs, ablations, and a heart transplant in 2021) and with a number of family members affected by HCM, she is passionate about improving support for cardiomyopathy patients in Australia.

Leigh's first involvement with the CMANZ began at its inception in the 90's when her mother, Robyn Bell originally established the organisation as a support and education group for HCM patients. Leigh's career was in multinational steel and mining companies with senior management roles in operations, project, transition, and logistics management. She volunteered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for over 20 years. She intends spending her gifted years post-transplant in pursuit of better support, experiences and outcomes for those impacted by cardiomyopathy.