Marzi Anari is a translational cardiovascular researcher whose work focuses on addressing one of the most pressing challenges in contemporary cardiology: the early identification and stabilization of rupture-prone atherosclerotic plaques to mitigate acute ischemic events. Her doctoral research pioneers an integrative methodology combining high-resolution intravascular imaging with multi-omics analysis of the gut microbiome, aiming to elucidate novel mechanistic links between dietary patterns, microbial dysbiosis, and plaque vulnerability. By investigating targeted dietary interventions and microbial modulation strategies, her work seeks to establish therapeutic paradigms that enhance plaque stability while elucidating the immune system’s role in cardiovascular pathophysiology. This innovative approach bridges the disciplines of precision cardiology, microbiome science, and immunometabolism, offering transformative insights into primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Her findings hold significant potential to redefine clinical strategies for reducing the global burden of myocardial infarction and stroke.

Dr Daniel Donner founded and leads the Baker Institute's Translational Cardiology Centre, comprised of over a dozen senior postdoctoral fellows, clinicians, sonographers and physiologists, technicians and veterinarians. His research programs focus on heart attack and cardiac arrest, with a special focus on cardiothoracic surgery and emergency resuscitative care. With Honorary positions at the Alfred Hospital, MonashU and UMelbourne, Dr Donner is both an Early Career Researcher and the proud primary supervisor of 2 PhD students also attending this year's conference.

Trained in cardiology and intensive care, Dr Sirwardena is currently working full time in Department of Adult Intensive Care, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane. She has completed her PhD in B-type natriuretic peptide signal peptide in cardiac disease with the Christchurch Heart Institute.

Victoria is a early career post-doctoral researcher based in the Vascular Research Centre at SAHMRI. Her PhD research investigated the application of multifunctional porphyrin-lipid nanoparticles in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and the development of novel preclinical atherosclerosis models. She is currently investigating the biological mechanisms and novel treatments of atherosclerosis.

Teagan Er is a 1st year PhD student at the Ben Beale Laboratory in Cardiovascular Research based at the University of Western Australia. The work she is undertaking in the lab involves clarifying how the L-type calcium channel can regulate mitochondrial energetics in the heart and identifying the mitochondrial proteins involved in this process.

Emily recently completed her PhD with the Centre for Heart Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research under the supervision of Professor James Chong and is currently completing her Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the University of Notre Dame Sydney, with the aim of pursuing a career as an academic cardiologist. Her research interests include the development of novel therapeutics and heart failure, both of which formed the basis of her PhD doctoral work. Emily is passionate about translational research, bridging the gap between basic science and clinical applications to enhance available treatment options and improve patient outcomes.

Dr Tham is the Baker-La Trobe Fellow and a Group Leader within the Metabolomics Laboratory under Professor Peter Meikle. His research program utilises lipidomics, molecular biology and imaging techniques to understand cardiovascular disease using preclinical models. This ultimately is aimed at development of innovative lipid modulating therapies to treat cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. His research has resulted in 21 career publications (~2100 citations, h-index 14) including ones in top journals such as Nature Communications, Cell Reports and Nature Cardiovascular Research. Dr Tham was awarded his PhD in Medicine (Monash University, 2018), receiving the Paul Korner Medal for Outstanding Achievement. During his PhD, he demonstrated distinctive lipid profiles in the heart and circulation following exercise vs heart failure/disease, and how modulating different lipid species in the heart could affect cardiac health.

Tim completed his pharmacology undergraduate training and obtained a pharmacology and platelet cell biology masters by research degree at the University of Bristol (UK) before moving to Australia to undertake his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences. He is passionate about identifying novel treatments for heart failure that is complicated by diabetes and is in his third year of PhD candidature.