Hypertension Australia Member Spotlight
Welcome to the Hypertension Australia Member Spotlight series!
At Hypertension Australia, we are committed to advancing cardiovascular health and improving hypertension management through the collective efforts of our dedicated members. Our Member Spotlight series is designed to showcase the groundbreaking work, innovative research, and impactful programs being conducted by professionals across Australia in the field of hypertension.
To be featured or to nominate a colleague, please email us at admin@hypertension.org.au.
Connie Ow
Connie Ow is a Research Officer at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, focusing on cardiovascular research related to hypertension. Inspired by her grandmother’s health challenges, she explores acute kidney injury and its connection to heart conditions.
Taku Furukawa
Taku Furukawa is a PhD candidate at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. Taku’s background as an anaesthesiologist and intensive care physician informs his research focusing on heart surgery complications related to hypertension.
Alta Schutte
Professor Alta Schutte is a distinguished researcher and leader in the field of hypertension. As the SHARP Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at UNSW Sydney and affiliated with The George Institute for Global Health, she continues to push the boundaries of hypertension research and treatment strategies.
Jonathan Glenning
Jonathan an MD/PhD student, focuses on increasing pediatric blood pressure screening via school programs and device validation and received the Hypertension Australia 2023 Student Poster Prize.
Mark Nelson
Jonathan an MD/PhD student, focuses on increasing pediatric blood pressure screening via school programs and device validation and received the Hypertension Australia 2023 Student Poster Prize.
Katrina Kissock
Dr Katrina Kissock is a Research Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, New South Wales. As an early career researcher, Katrina’s passion for the relationship between nutrition and health - particularly in the context of cardiovascular disease - has driven her career as a dietitian and researcher.
Rikeish Muralitheran
Rikeish Muralitheran is a research fellow in the Hypertension Research Laboratory at Monash University and has been a member of Hypertension Australia since 2019. Rikesh’s research focuses on uncovering novel approaches to prevent, detect, and manage high blood pressure, particularly through the gut microbiome.
Garry Jennings
Garry Jennings is a senior academic and Chief Medical Advisor at the Heart Foundation, with honorary roles at Sydney and Monash Universities and long-standing affiliations in cardiovascular health. He has been a member of Hypertension Australia since its inception in 1979.
Kate Denton
Meet Professor Katherine (Kate) Denton, Head of the Cardiovascular Disease Program at Monash University’s Biomedical Discovery Institute, whose pioneering research on the kidney’s role in blood pressure regulation has shaped global understanding of hypertension for decades.
Antony Vinh
Associate Professor Antony Vinh heads the Hypertension and Immunobiology Research Division at La Trobe University’s Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research. His pioneering research into inflammation, immune activation, and gut microbiome dysbiosis earned him Hypertension Australia’s prestigious 2022 Jaye Chin-Dusting Outstanding Mid-Career Research Award.
Gianni Sesa-Ashton
Gianni Sesa-Ashton is a final-year medical student at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and Head of Strategy and Communications at Hypertension Australia, with a strong focus on resistant hypertension and the role of the sympathetic nervous system in blood pressure regulation. His work spans renal denervation, innovative research techniques, and national screening initiatives, all aimed at improving outcomes for patients with complex hypertension.
Evany Dinakis
Evany Dinakis is a postdoctoral researcher whose work explores how diet, the gut microbiome, immune regulation and pH-sensing pathways influence blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Her award-winning research has provided new insights into the gut–immune mechanisms underpinning hypertension, including the first in-human evidence linking distinct colonic pH profiles with essential hypertension.
Lakshini Herat
Dr Lakshini Herat is an early-career researcher at the University of Western Australia whose work focuses on understanding the role of the sympathetic nervous system in hypertension and cardiometabolic disease. Inspired by both personal experience and a passion for translational research, Lakshini is helping advance new approaches to preventing heart and kidney damage in people living with high blood pressure.
Connie Ow
Connie Ow is a Research Officer at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, focusing on cardiovascular research related to hypertension. Inspired by her grandmother’s health challenges, she explores acute kidney injury and its connection to heart conditions.
Connie Ow
Connie Ow is a Research Officer at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, focusing on cardiovascular research related to hypertension. Inspired by her grandmother’s health challenges, she explores acute kidney injury and its connection to heart conditions.