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Symposium 3: Cardiorespiratory immunopharmacology: state-of-the-art models and novel drugs

Tracks
Track 3
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Details

Immunopharmacology, the study of drugs that modify and/or actions of substances derived from the immune system, is an emerging interest in drug discovery research for cardiorespiratory diseases. Cardiorespiratory diseases are increasing in prevalence and result in significant disease burden. Recent advances in immunopharmacology have transformed our understanding of the development of disease, comorbidities, and complex interplay between the lung and cardiovascular systems. This symposia will explore cutting-edge preclinical models which enhance our understanding of disease-causing mechanisms which can be used as targets in the development of novel immunopharmacological targets/therapies for cardiorespiratory diseases. This symposium combines experts in cardiorespiratory disease and immunopharmacology, to highlight novel approaches for treating newborn lung disease bronchopulmonary dysplasia (Nold), environmental-induced lung injury (Kim), hypertension (Qin), or influenza infections (Coward-Smith). This collaborative effort promises to advance the frontiers of knowledge and foster breakthroughs in cardiorespiratory disease, resonating with the overarching goals of the joint ASCEPT Hypertension Australia meeting of innovation, drug discovery and development.


Speaker

Dr Richard Kim
Group Leader, ImmunoPharmacology Research Group
University Of Technology Sydney

Environmental Exposures on the Cardiorespiratory system: New Models, Drug Targets and Treatment Approaches

Biography

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Dr Chengxue Helena Qin
Head of the Cardiovascular Pharmacology Laboratory National Heart Foundation Future Fellow
Monash University

Advancing Strategies in Cardiopulmonary Disease: Pioneering Pathways to Therapeutic Innovation

Biography

Laboratory Head in Cardiovascular Pharmacology at Monash University, currently holding the prestigious positions of National Heart Foundation Future Fellow and Monash Talent Accelerator Fellow. Upon completing her PhD at the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and the School of Chemistry (University of Melbourne), Dr. Qin advanced her career with a post-doctoral position at the Baker Institute in 2011. Recognizing her talent and leadership, she was subsequently recruited to establish her independent laboratory within the Drug Discovery Biology Theme at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2019. Previously, she served as an MRFF REDI Industry Fellow and Baker Fellow. Dr. Qin also plays an integral role on the Board of Directors of the Australasian Pharmacologists and Toxicology Society, the Global Academic Drug Discovery Consortium, and the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance Emerging Leader (Industry Engagement portfolio). Dr. Qin is an emerging leader in translational pharmacology, driven by a visionary pursuit to develop "pro-resolving medicines" for the treatment of cardiopulmonary diseases, one of the leading causes of death globally. Her research team is dedicated to pioneering innovative "pro-resolving" therapies, primarily focusing on advancing the pro-resolving GPCRs (e.g. FPR2) R&D program to bridge scientific discoveries with impactful clinical solutions. Dr. Qin's expertise spans molecular and integrative pharmacology, rational drug design, and the intricacies of commercialization. Her scholarly contributions have been featured in prestigious journals such as Nature Communications, Cardiovascular Research, Circulation, British Journal of Pharmacology, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, and Pharmacology & Therapeutics etc. Dr. Qin has secured substantial research funding from prestigious organizations including the National Health and Medical Research Council, National Heart Foundation, National Drug Discovery Centre, Diabetes Australia, CASS Foundation, Therapeutic Innovation Australia, JDRF etc. Dr. Qin's outstanding leadership and scholarly achievements have been duly recognized through the receipt of over 20 prestigious awards, including the Hypertension Australia Mid-Career Award (2023), Monash Talent Accelerator Fellow (2023), MRFF-Industry Fellow (2021), Future Research Leader (2020), and the Asian Australian Leadership Award (Basic Scientist, 2019), among others. For more information, please visit: https://www.monash.edu/mips/themes/drug-discovery-biology/labs/cardiovascular-pharmacology.
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Dr Madison Coward-Smith
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
University of Technology Sydney

Thinking Outside the Box: Immune-Modifying Methods to Reduce Lung Infections on the Cardiovascular System

Biography

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