Project to ward off heart attacks before symptoms appear part of Minns Labor Government $14 million research boost

05 August 2026
A prominent Sydney cardiologist has been awarded $750,000 in NSW Government funding for research to enable much earlier detection and treatment of coronary artery disease which is a major killer if left untreated.

Every year in NSW coronary artery disease causes around 6,000 deaths and 50,000 hospitalisations, with many people unaware they have the disease until they experience a heart attack, which is often too late.

Professor Gemma Figtree from the University of Sydney is one of 28 health researchers receiving $14 million in funding under the latest round of the NSW Government’s Cardiovascular Senior and Early-Mid Career Researcher Grant program.

The funding will enable Professor Figtree and her research team to explore ways to identify biomarkers of coronary artery disease before symptoms appear and to develop a program to screen for the disease across the broad population of NSW.

Professor Figtree is looking for the presence of atherosclerotic coronary plaque, which can be a cause of heart attacks and can be present in people well before any symptoms arise.

The grants are part of the NSW Government’s Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program, a $150 million commitment over 10 years, which aims to improve the cardiovascular health of people in NSW.

The latest round of funding will support research across several priority areas including:
  • heart-protective cancer treatments
  • safer immune therapies for cardiovascular disease
  • the impact of stress and air pollution on heart health
  • prevention of blood clots in life support machines
  • developing monitoring devices for heart rhythm treatments
  • creating synthetic grafts that regenerate into arteries
  • codesigning cardiovascular disease prevention strategies for adolescents.
For more information on the Cardiovascular Senior and Early-Mid Career Researcher Grant program visit: https://medicalresearch.nsw.gov.au/grants/cardiovascular-research-capacity-program/cardiovascular-senior-early-mid-career

Minister for Medical Research David Harris said:
“Our Government is supporting some of the best and brightest minds in cardiovascular research through this grant program, which aims to keep our state at the forefront of medical research.

“This round of grants was highly competitive, and I would like to congratulate the 28 successful recipients who will now be better able to continue the amazing work they are doing.

“A great example is Professor Gemma Figtree’s project to detect coronary artery disease well before symptoms appear to give people the best chance of staving off a disease that causes so many deaths and hospitalisations in NSW every year.

"I look forward to seeing how the important work undertaken by these talented researchers, their multi-disciplinary teams and collaborators, will make a real difference to the lives of people living in NSW and across the globe.”

Cardiologist and University of Sydney Professor Gemma Figtree said:
“A large proportion of heart attacks happen with no prior warning symptoms, and often without any major red flags from a risk factor perspective.

“This grant is invaluable and will support my team in discovering and translating new blood-based biomarker and imaging strategies to achieve early detection and treatment of atherosclerotic coronary plaque with a focus on equity and scale.

“We will develop new clinical pathways to maximise equitable access to early detection and treatment of coronary artery disease to prevent heart attack.”
Current as at: Wednesday 5 August 2026