Team IMB

Heart attack is the number one killer of Australians, taking an average of 19 lives every day.  Cardiovascular diseases can happen at any time in life from congenital diseases in developing foetuses to adult-onset diseases like heart attacks. Heart disease impacts Australians across all stages of life. Our team of researchers at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience are tackling cardiovascular disease through a range of innovative approaches from genes to cells to tissues, from cell and animal models to clinical care, gaining not only knowledge into the fundamental biology of the heart but also developing the next generation of novel therapeutics. By supporting our research, you will help change the lives of Australians impacted by cardiovascular disease.

In 2010, our unborn child was diagnosed with a heart defect. In 2011, she had her first palliative heart surgery at five weeks of age. In 2012, she had her first open-heart surgery. In 2012, my father had a heart attack, and underwent surgical repair. In 2016, my brother died from cardiac arrest at just 53 years of age … In the coming years, my daughter will require another open-heart surgery to replace her pulmonary valve, because there is currently no alternative…- Michael Taylor 

While clinical care for patients with heart disease has improved significantly in recent decades, it has remained Australia’s #1 cause of death according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare States. Despite decades of research, we still do not have any drugs to prevent heart cells from dying during a heart attack. While we have gained incredible capabilities to analyze the genome, for many children born with heart defects, the genetic cause of their disease remains unknown. These problems can be solved through the translation of knowledge into innovative solutions.

Because of research, we have been better able to understand risk factors, develop prevention and mitigation strategies, and dramatically improve patient outcomes.

Our team of researchers at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience are tackling cardiovascular disease through a range of innovative approaches from genes to cells to tissues, from cell and animal models to clinical care, gaining not only knowledge into the fundamental biology of the heart but also developing the next generation of novel therapeutics. By supporting our research, you will help change the lives of Australians impacted by cardiovascular disease.