Lauren Church is dedicated to oral health as both a clinician and researcher. She is a final year PhD Candidate at the University of Sydney, focusing on the connection of oral health and CVD. She has authored multiple impactful publications throughout her higher education, including studies on oral health education in hospital settings and innovative protocols for improving cardiac rehabilitation through digital oral health interventions. She has presented her findings at major conferences, earning recognition for her contributions. With five publications so early in her career, significant mentorship experience, and leadership roles in research and education, Lauren’s work demonstrates her commitment to advancing oral health practices and integrating them into broader healthcare strategies.

Deborah is a PhD candidate with the SOLVE-CHD Synergy Grant at the University of Sydney, supported by the Research Training Program (RTP) Tuition Fee Offset and Stipend scholarships. Her PhD focuses on investigating and developing strategies to reduce socioeconomic disparities in access to cardiac rehabilitation.

Hannah is a PhD candidate and research assistant at the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare at Bond University. She has a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours Class 1) from the University of Queensland. Her PhD focusses on implementing salt substitutes for preventing and managing cardiovascular disease in primary care settings. Her other research interests include non-drug interventions, behaviour change, evidence-synthesis and consumer engagement.

Dr Quan Dang is a PhD Candidate at Westmead Appplied Research Centre, Univeristy of Sydney. He is performing research into Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) under the supervision of Assoc Prof Sarah Zaman and Prof James Chong.

Professor Charlotte Hespe is Head of General Practice and Primary Care Research at the University of Notre Dame Australia (Sydney School of Medicine). She is a practicing GP and co-owner of Glebe Family Medical Practice, a leading teaching and research-based general practice in Sydney. Charlotte has a strong commitment to improving patient outcomes through evidence-based care, with a focus on cardiovascular disease prevention, chronic disease management, and quality improvement in general practice. She actively contributes to health policy and governance as Deputy Director of Professional Services Review, Clinical Lead for the Australian Digital Health Agency, and advisor to NSW Health on primary care initiatives. In recognition of her contributions to medicine, education, and research, Charlotte was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2024. She was also included on the COVID-19 Honour Roll for her leadership in the NSW/ACT response.

Jacky Chen is a final-year medical student at the University of Melbourne, currently placed at St Vincent’s Hospital. He has a strong passion for cardiology and respiratory medicine, with additional interests in big data, MedTech, and AI to enhance healthcare and improve patient outcomes.

Timothy Abrahams is a Cardiology Advanced Trainee at the Victorian Heart Hospital. His research interest includes preventative cardiology, lipids and coronary disease.

With backgrounds of acute renal and emergency, sub-acute/rehabilitation, community and aged care nursing, Shristy is embarking her journey on clinical research specialising in cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease (CAD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) with the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. In her current role as research assistant nurse, she reviews suitable participant for different research studies, conducts clinical assessments and attends to laboratory work.

Dr Jessica Tay is a basic physician trainee in the Concord BPT Network. She received her medical degree from the University of New England, and Master of Public Health from the University of Sydney. She has been appointed as a president of the Concord Hospital Resident Medical Officers’ Association, and as Clinical Associate Lecturer in affiliation with the University of Sydney's Concord Clinical School.

Natalie Raffoul is passionate about the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. She is currently the Senior Manager for Healthcare Programs and Clinical Strategy at the National Heart Foundation responsible for overseeing the design, build and delivery of health programs which seek to improve the early detection and management of cardiovascular disease in Australia. She has a background as a cardiology hospital pharmacist and the CVD & Diabetes Clinical Lead at NPS MedicineWise.

Wendan Shi is a PhD graduate, a clinician-researcher, and a full-time post-doctoral research fellow based at the Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Sydney. She has published more than 16 articles in peer-reviewed Journals, half of which were published as the first author. She has previously completed a first-class Honours bachelor’s degree in nursing. She has been a registered nurse in Australia and in China. She has a clinical specialty and research interest in cardiovascular nursing, secondary prevention, and cardiac rehabilitation. In addition, her current research project has focused on educational interventions for a culturally and linguistically diverse group with coronary heart disease living in Australia. She recently received the 2023 Cardiovascular Nursing Prize at the 71st ASM of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. Her first-author paper was awarded the top download papers in 2022 in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.

Ms Ayra Kassam is a final year medical student at James Cook University. She has a keen interest in Cardiology and has recently pursued a medical elective in this specialty at Mount Sinai Hospital. She has involved herself in several research endeavours in the field, with her predominant research interests being the cardiovascular health of Australia's First Nations peoples.