Our people
Our team shapes the future of CVMM research.
Steering Committee
Steering Committee members guide the Cardiac, Vascular and Metabolic Medicine Research Strategic and Operational Plan, providing input on key indicators and theme priorities. They drive stakeholder engagement, allocate strategic funding, and provide input on operational, financial, and communication decisions, advocating externally.
Alta Schutte
SHARP Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, UNSW Sydney
Cardiac, Vascular and Metabolic Medicine Theme Lead
Alta Schutte is a SHARP Professor and the Principal Theme Lead of Cardiac, Vascular and Metabolic Medicine at the University of New South Wales, and a Professorial Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health. She has extensive experience as a Chief Investigator in population-based studies and clinical trials with a focus on raised blood pressure and hypertension. Alta has been the recipient of many awards throughout her distinguished career, the most recent being the Peter Sleight Award of Clinical Research Excellence from the World Hypertension League.
Stella Jun
Research Development Manager, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney
Stella Jun specialises in delivering operational and strategic research support, with a focus on the Cardiac, Vascular and Metabolic Medicine theme. With a background in public health, Stella has extensive experience in managing and supporting translational research programs, including primary health care and mental health studies. With 15 years in the United States’ nonprofit sector and experience at UNSW and local health districts, Stella's expertise extends to developing and managing public health initiatives. Her journey underscores a great understanding of diverse organisational cultures and complex stakeholder dynamics. Currently, she is actively engaged in the faculty’s consumer involvement in research, supporting early and mid-career researchers, managing grants, and navigating complex stakeholder relationships.
Sunil Badve
Nephrologist, St George Hospital and Professor of Medicine, UNSW Sydney
Program Lead for Cardiometabolic Trials, George Institute for Global Health
Professor Sunil Badve is a Senior Staff Specialist in Nephrology at St George Hospital, Sydney; Conjoint Professor of Medicine at UNSW Medicine; and Program Lead, Cardiometabolic Trials, Renal and Metabolic Division at the George Institute for Global Health. Professor Badve’s research focus is in randomised controlled trials, meta-analyses and epidemiology, particularly in the progression of chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, and associated mortality in chronic kidney disease. Professor Badve is also the Nephrology Subject Editor for the Internal Medicine Journal and serves on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
Xiaoqi Feng
Professor and Lead, Rapid Urbanisation and Population Health Research Network, UNSW Sydney
Professor Xiaoqi Feng is the Professor of Urban Health and Environment in the University of New South Wales School of Population Health. Professor Feng leads a program of research focused on enhancing population wellbeing through identifying modifiable environmental factors that shape health across the lifecourse. She is the Founding Co-Director of PowerLab where she has pioneered groundbreaking research on nature and health. She has authored over 210 publications, led major research projects, and translated her research into policy.
Jerry Greenfield
Endocrinologist, St Vincent’s Hospital and Head of St Vincent’s Campus
Clinical Researcher, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Professor Jerry Greenfield is an Endocrinologist and clinical diabetes researcher. He is Head of the Department of Endocrinology, and Director of Diabetes Services at St Vincent's Hospital. Under his direction, the Diabetes Service received National Association of Diabetes Centres Centre of Excellence status in 2019, which was later renewed in 2023. His recent research interests focus on elucidating the molecular basis of insulin resistance by studying humans with insulin-sensitive obesity.
Maree Hackett
The George Institute for Global Health
Professor Maree Hacket leads a program of public health and health services research at The George Institute, focusing on developing simple, cost effective strategies (which can be integrated with other secondary prevention strategies) to prevent depression and significantly improve the outcome for people with depression and other chronic diseases.
Jason Kovacic
President of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance
Professor of Cardiovascular Research, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
Jason Kovacic holds the position of the Robert M. Graham Chair and Professor of Cardiovascular Research at the University of New South Wales, and continues his appointment as Professor of Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. He is the President Elect of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, a Board Member of The Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes, and serves on the National Heart Foundation’s Research Strategy Committee. Jason has successfully established his research program at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, where he continues his focus on cardiac and vascular diseases.
Margaret Morris
Professor of Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, UNSW Sydney
Professor Margaret Morris leads the Environmental determinants of obesity research group within the Department of Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences UNSW Sydney and is co-lead, Diabetes obesity and metabolic disease clinical academic group of SPHERE. Her research addresses critical questions concerning how provision of a varied, energy rich diet can override the control mechanisms that otherwise maintain body weight, with a particular focus on the brain-gut axis, and cognitive decline using rodent models.
Clare Arnott
The George Institute for Global Health
A/Professor Clare Arnott is the Global Head of the Cardiovascular Program at the George Institute and a Staff Specialist Cardiologist at RPA Hospital. Her expertise is in cardiometabolic trials, cardiovascular imaging and women's cardiovascular disease. She holds an NHMRC/MRFF Priority Investigator Grant and sits on the CSANZ Scientific Committee, the HLC Editorial Board and ANZACT Clinical trials executive team. She is the founder of Australia's first Women's Heart Disease Clinic (RPA hospital).
Belinda Parmenter
Head of Medicine and Health Lifestyle Clinic, UNSW Sydney
Associate Professor Belinda Parmenter is the Head of UNSW Lifestyle Clinic. She is the E/MCR Co-Chair of the SPHERE Cardiac and Vascular Health Clinical Academic Group and a member of the UNSW Medicine and Health Cardiac, Vascular and Metabolic Medicine Steering Committee, as well as the Health Systems Research Theme Executive Committee. She is also the co-founder and national co-chair of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance Peripheral Artery Disease Working Group. Belinda’s research focuses on making exercise easier to help improve initiation and compliance to physical activity to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease across the lifespan.
Kerry-Anne Rye
Head of Cardiometabolic Disease Research Group, UNSW Sydney
Deputy Head, School of Biomedical Sciences, UNSW Sydney
Professor Kerry-Anne Rye is Deputy Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences. She is recognised for her work on high density lipoprotein structure, function, and remodelling, and was the first to report that high-density lipoproteins have anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties. Her current research focuses are on understanding the pathogenesis of diabetes-accelerated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, reducing recurrent events in myocardial infarction patients, and the development of new therapies for these disorders.
Jamie Vandenberg
Co-Deputy Director, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
Head of Mark Cowley Lidwill Research Program in Cardiac Electrophysiology
Professor Jamie Vandenberg is the Co-Deputy Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, and the Head of the Mark Cowley Lidwill Research Program in Cardiac Electrophysiology. He is a National Health and Medical Research Council Principal Research Fellow, and in 2015 was elected to the Fellowship of the Heart rhythm Society (USA) and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. His research has focused on the molecular basis of cardiac electrical activity and understanding the genesis of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Advisory Panel
The advisory panel provides expert guidance and advice on research initiatives, and examines the landscape for potential funding and partnerships within the realm of cardiac, vascular, and metabolic medicine.
Bruce Neal
Executive Director, The George Institute for Global Health
Professor of Medicine, UNSW Sydney
Bruce Neal is Professor of Medicine at UNSW Sydney and Executive Director of The George Institute Australia. Bruce has been at the George Institute since it was established in 1999 and has grown a broad-based clinical and public health research program with a strong focus on the translation of research findings into better clinical practice and health policies. He has particular experience in the fields of high blood pressure and diabetes, and has been a part of multiple large-scale clinical trials in that space.
Mark Parsons
Professor of Medicine & Neurology, UNSW Sydney South Western Sydney Clinical School
Professor Mark Parsons is an internationally recognised leader in Stroke Medicine and a highly sought-after speaker, instructor and mentor, both nationally and internationally, in all aspects of clinical Neuroscience. He has just been appointed as Professor of Medicine and Neurology at UNSW South Western Sydney Clinical School. He is an international leader in Stroke clinical trials and brain imaging and has translated much of his research into clinical practice change, has considerable industry collaborations both in terms of clinical stroke practice and imaging.
ECR Committee
The Early Career Research Committee for Cardiac Vascular Medicine supports the professional development of early and mid-career researchers, providing guidance, resources, and fostering collaboration.
