Finding Cures for Cardiovascular Disease Through World Class Medical Research Annual Report 2017 Contents

Finding cures for cardiovascular disease through world class medical research Annual Report 2017 Contents SUBJECT PAGE NO. About Us 02 MAKING A DIFFERENCE Leo’s Story 04 Chairman’s Report 06 Executive Director’s Report 10 Organisational Structure 12 Board of Directors 13 DISCOVERIES Baby Brain 16 DISCOVERIES Preventing Fatal Heart Attacks 20 DISCOVERIES Yesterday’s Science, Tomorrow’s Technology 24 DISCOVERIES Fishing for Clues 26 MAKING A DIFFERENCE Kiran’s and Miranda’s Stories 30 Research Divisions 32 The Victor Chang Innovation Centre 34 Fundraising Events 36 17.5 million Sohn Australia Hearts & Minds people worldwide Investment Leaders Conference 38 die from cardiovascular Achievements and Awards 40 disease every year Statement of Income and Expenditure 42 Victor Chang Health Check Booth 43 Supporters and Acknowledgments 44 Support Life-Saving Heart Research 49 Leo Henricks, who was born with a genetic heart disorder Front cover. ANNUAL REPORT 2017 01 Heart attacks + stroke Stem cells Pregnancy + birth defects Life-saving Inherited heart disease research Heart transplants Genetic analysis Cardiac arrests 12min 3× One Australian dies from Women are three times more cardiovascular disease likely to die from heart disease every 12 minutes than breast cancer 02 VICTOR CHANG CARDIAC RESEARCH INSTITUTE About Us The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Our Mission Institute is dedicated to finding cures The relief of pain for cardiovascular disease through and suffering, and world class medical research. the promotion of wellbeing, through Renowned for the quality of an understanding of the our breakthroughs, the Victor fundamental mechanisms of cardiovascular Chang Institute uses innovative biology in health transplantation techniques, advanced and disease. stem cell research, bioengineering, and complex molecular and genetic analysis – to discover better ways to diagnose, treat and ultimately prevent the onset of heart disease. ANNUAL REPORT 2017 03 Our Values Our 2017 Statistics Health Impact Excellence: 306 Cardiovascular disease to achieve excellence in research researchers and staff is the leading cause of Creativity: 122 death globally. It claims the to demonstrate creativity in the scientific publications life of one Australian every pursuit of scientific discovery 24 12 minutes and can affect Integrity: laboratories to act with honesty, integrity anyone regardless of age 10,002 and fairness at all times people tested by the Victor or gender. As Australia’s Impact: Chang Health Check Booth most expensive disease, to undertake research that has 1,031 it currently costs more than significant impact and makes people toured the $7.6 billion in healthcare a difference Victor Chang Institute expenditure per year. Teamwork: to promote a sense of teamwork and collegiality amongst staff and collaborators 54,000 people suffer a heart attack every year in Australia Making a Difference Leo’s Story 04 VICTOR CHANG CARDIAC RESEARCH INSTITUTE Making a Difference At the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute there is nothing more rewarding Leo’s Story than watching a patient recover and “We found out Leo had a severe heart defect when I went for my routine lead a happier, healthier life. It’s the 20‑week ultrasound. The paediatric cardiologist confirmed that our little boy reason we do what we do every day had hypoplastic left heart syndrome; – to help people. our baby would be born with half a heart. I can’t tell you how broken my own heart was that day. We were scared and unsure what this meant for him, but we knew if he’s anything like his mum, dad and sisters, he’d have a big fighting spirit! At three days old he was whisked away for the first of three open heart surgeries. We waited seven long, agonising hours for the surgery to be finished and when we finally walked into intensive care my feet felt like concrete. I remember Leo lying there with tubes, drains and machines coming out of everywhere, and thinking ‘how did this happen?’. After two weeks we finally got to hold our baby boy for the first time. Five years on, we know the future is uncertain and at any time things can change for us. Leo can go into cardiac arrest at any moment, but we roll with the punches and take it a day at a time. There will be more good days and bad ones too, but our Leo is everything we had dreamed b for him. Despite having half a heart, Leo is a very happy little boy with an even bigger personality. As my husband says, he has more heart than anyone we know, and JACINTA, LEO’S MUM I think I’d have to agree”. There were times I thought we were really going to lose him, but he has shown us how to be strong, a just like him. Leo back in hospital again Leo after his first open heart surgery Leo with his mum, Jacinta, his dad, Justin and his siblings a. b. c. ANNUAL REPORT 2017 05 c Research Update Giving back to medical research, Leo and his parents have donated tissue samples to Professor Richard Harvey’s laboratory at the Victor Chang Institute to help its ground‑breaking investigations 42 into hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Professor Harvey is using babies are born with a heart defect renewable stem cells to search for a genetic pattern that leads every week to childhood heart disease. 06 VICTOR CHANG CARDIAC RESEARCH INSTITUTE Importantly, whilst there has been Chairman’s enormous progress in treating cardiovascular disease (CVD) Report during this time, it remains the main cause of death and disability, and imposes the highest level of economic burden of all disease In the world of science, it’s not often that truly groups in Australia. remarkable discoveries are made which have There are also signs that the potential to positively impact millions of lives we are at risk of a resurgence around the world. So, it is with great pride that of CVD in Australia with, as an example, higher incidences of we reflect on the incredible discoveries made by atrial fibrillation and general Professor Sally Dunwoodie and her team at the heart failure for the middle Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, which aged. This will of course were published in the prestigious New England lead to an even higher future cost to the NSW and Federal Journal of Medicine on 10 August, 2017. Health Budgets. These discoveries, which are now being further Because of this dichotomy, the Victor Chang Institute’s investigated, may lead to a change in the Board and management have way that all pregnant women are managed been particularly focused this to minimise the risk of certain potential birth past year on increasing the awareness at both the Federal defects, including heart defects. and NSW Government levels of the importance and urgency These achievements are a reflection of the of increasing their investment capability of our world class team of over 300 into cardiovascular research. researchers and staff, guided by our scientific Sydney is one of the world’s major leadership team, who themselves have been global cities and NSW is Australia’s responsible for some extraordinary ground‑ most productive State and its community deserves and expects breaking discoveries over the past 24 years. to be able to get the world’s best treatment and care for cardiovascular disease, particularly in Western Sydney and regional areas where the incidence of heart disease is greatest. ANNUAL REPORT 2017 07 This resurgence of cardiovascular disease comes at a time when funding for medical research In this regard, I’m pleased and, more alarmingly, funding for cardiovascular to report that the NSW Government clearly recognises research in Australia and in particular NSW, this need and, together with the remains in steady decline. NSW Cardiovascular Research Network, we have made good progress towards securing long term, ongoing investment in cardiovascular research across the State. At the Federal level, we welcome the Government’s continued commitment that the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) will be fully capitalised by 2020/21 and provide long term funding to those important areas of research, such as cardiovascular disease, which have the highest social and economic burden. As the former deputy Chairman of a working group that included representatives from most of Australia’s large medical research institutes and universities, which fought hard to ensure the establishment of the MRFF, I am hopeful the MRFF can be used to set a long term path for growth in medical research funding in Australia. This would help attract international scientific talent and private capital to this field of discovery, and have a positive economic multiplier effect following the path of other successful nations in this area, such as Israel and Singapore. Matthew Grounds, Chairman Grounds, Matthew d. d 08 VICTOR CHANG CARDIAC RESEARCH INSTITUTE It has been a privilege to work alongside such a committed Board who is focused on developing the Given the recent decline in Victor Chang Institute’s supporters and maintaining funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, its excellent reputation. coupled with a commitment by the Board to maintain our leading research activities across the Fundamental to the financial The warm generosity of Steven Victor Chang Institute, we have success of the conference is the and Judy Lowy enabled our had to fund part of our operations generous support that we receive Board to host a special Cocktail from our reserves which has from our partners including the Party on board the super placed an even greater reliance fund managers who donate yacht, “Hey Jude” in October. on philanthropic support for the their time to speak and make The night raised vital funds Institute’s ongoing research. financial contributions, our major for the Victor Chang Institute’s sponsor, Commonwealth Bank, cutting edge Cardiogenomics In this regard, I wanted to thank and The Ainsworth and The Paul Program, which is working to our many regular supporters, Ramsay Foundations.

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