Student at Monash University, currently completing a PhD in Pharmacology in the Integrative Cardiovascular Pharmacology Group in ischemic stroke. A Graduate of a Bachelor of Science with majors in Physiology and Pharmacology, as well as an Honours degree in Pharmacology. Barisa's project is to investigate the effects of IRAP inhibition following endothelin-1-induced ischemic stroke in normotensive rats. Ultimately, the project aims to bridge the gap between preclinical discoveries and clinical treatments, thereby improving neurological outcomes for stroke patients.

Beidong Huang is an overseas-trained and qualified medical doctor undertaking a PhD at the University of Adelaide. Her work focuses on translational cardiovascular physiology/pathophysiology, examining how the main compartments of endothelial function interact in health and disease. It is the goal of her research to bridge bench and bedside to optimise outcomes in diabetes, heart failure, and related conditions.

Rianna Tadd-Lennox is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Pharmacology, Monash University. She is passionate about neuropharmacology and cardiovascular research, and her work aims to reduce the devastating neurological deficits that follow ischemic stroke. Her research utilizes the photothrombotic model of stroke to assess the impacts of targeting insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) as a novel ischemic stroke therapeutic. Ultimately, her work aims to bridge the gap between preclinical discoveries and clinical treatments to improve outcomes for stroke patients.

Kevin is a scientific officer at the Laboratory of Ageing and Pharmacology, Kolling Institute and the University of Sydney, led by Prof Sarah Hilmer. His work primarily focuses on exploring the complex molecular basis of drug-related harms in old age and whether medication withdrawal offers any molecular reversibility benefits. Using the established preclinical murine model, Kevin employed big molecular data analysis to study complex age-related drug-drug interactions across various different organs, including the heart.

David Wong Zhang is a final year PhD Candidate from the Centre of Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research (led by Prof. Grant Drummond and Prof. Chris Sobey). He completed his Master of Science in 2021 in the department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology at La Trobe University. David has received recognition of his work through awards from the Australian & New Zealand Microcirculation Society (ANZMS), and Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT). Alongside his PhD, David is an anatomy and physiology demonstrator and is passionate about research and education. His current research focuses on the use of human amniotic epithelial cells as therapy for stroke, using techniques such as neurobehavioral testing, immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR, and single-cell transcriptomics to uncover the mechanisms of cognitive repair.

I am an early career researcher currently working as a Post-doc in the Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Therapeutics Group at the Basil Hetzel Institute. I completed my PhD in 2022 and now perusing research in cardiovascular health particularly investigating changes in the metabolic pathway that lead to heart diseases such as cardiac hypertrophy and how this may affect cardiovascular health.

Graduated from Hamamatsu Univ. Sch. Med. in 1990. Worked as physician for 2 years in Kakegawa Municipal Hospital, Post-Doc Fellow for 2 years in Preclinical Study Institute of Sandoz Pharma Basel (CH). Associate Professor in Hamamatsu Univ. (basic Pharmacology). for 8 years. Majoring fields are; arrhythmia, atherosclerosis, thrombosis and clinical pharmacology.

My research publications are in the fields of pharmacology, pharmaceutical science, genitourinary and cardiovascular research. For most of my career I have studied adenosine receptors in tissues to identify subtypes of receptors and signaling pathways in heart, blood vessels and bladder and how they may change during common chronic disorders including hypertension, diabetes, heart attacks, incontinence and aging in an effort to identify ways to reduce disease burden.

Eleanor is a 2nd year PhD candidate in the Department of Pharmacology at Monash University’s Biomedical Discovery Institute. After completing her Honours degree in 2022, she commenced her PhD in 2023 under the supervision of Dr Mark Del Borgo, Associate Professor Meredith O’Keeffe and Professor Max Cryle. Combining her background in immunology and pharmacology, she is researching the use of dendritic cell-based extracellular vesicle mimetics for indications in vaccination. In addition, she is exploring the use of microneedles, a novel delivery method targeted to dermal immune cells. She hopes to develop a platform for utilising the innate ability of dendritic cells to transfer antigen to promote an immune response tailored to the target disease.

Henry Purbrick is a CSIRO Industry PhD candidate at the University of Western Australia. His project is linked with Dimerix Bioscience, a Melbourne-based biopharmaceutical company, to investigate the molecular pharmacology of novel G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) heteromers. Henry is investigating these heteromers in the context of complex inflammatory and fibrotic indications, where current therapeutics are inadequate in controlling progression. He is using live-cell biosensors, predominantly bioluminescence resonance energy transfer, to comprehensively profile the pharmacology of these heteromers. As his project is commercially orientated consideration must be made in how his research may be viably translated through to the clinic.

Li Shean Toh, a pharmacist and a Research Fellow at Monash University learning about deprescribing. Previously, she was a Lecturer at the University of Tasmania, Australia and an Asst Professor at the University of Nottingham. UK. Her area of expertise is in medicines management most notably in osteoporosis and prescribing. Other areas of interest include health literacy and interprofessional collaboration. Her latest and novel research area is in Astropharmacy, exploring medication safety and pharmacy services in space. She utilizes research evidence to inform and shape practice and policy. Toh's research has been funded by the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency (ESA). She played a key pioneering role in the inclusion of Pharmacological Countermeasures in the ESA 2021 SciSpacE Roadmap. She advises prestigious organizations like the Royal Society and the United Nations. Her exceptional work has been recognized with accolades such as the European Space Leader Award.

Dr. Audrey Adji is a research scientist at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and a research fellow at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. Her work explores pulsatile function in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, including mechanical circulatory support devices in heart failure. She has authored >80 peer-reviewed publications, presented at international conferences, and fostered collaborative research networks. Dr. Adji has received multiple scientific awards and serves on editorial boards of hypertension journals. She mentors postdoctoral fellows and supervises higher degree students across medicine and engineering. As Chair of the Women in Hypertension (Research) Committee at Hypertension Australia and the Early Career Research Network of Pulse of Asia, she advocates for equity and emerging researchers. She is a member of the Hypertension Australia Taskforce and a Fellow of both the International Society of Hypertension and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. Dr. Adji actively cultivates national and global research partnerships.

Grzegorz Procyk, MD, is a third-year PhD candidate at the 1st Chair and Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw. His research focuses on lipoprotein(a) and biomarker-based risk prediction in aortic stenosis/TAVI and arrhythmias. He is a multi-time recipient of Poland’s Minister of Health Scholarship (2022/23–2024/25), Rector’s awards and scholarships, and the “Talenty Jutra” grant. As PI, he has secured competitive funding for projects on lipoprotein(a) in TAVI and in young adults. He has authored or co-authored papers in the Journal of Molecular Medicine, Polish Archives of Internal Medicine, Cardiology Journal, and Journal of Clinical Medicine. Grzegorz has presented at ACC.25 (Chicago), APSCC 2025 (Busan), EAS 2024–2025, and the European Lipoprotein Club. He trained in the Cath Lab at San Giovanni Bosco Hospital (Turin) and is active in ESC and PTK.

Gianni is a research assistant in the Cardiometabolic Health and Exercise Physiology laboratory exploring the role of the sympathetic nervous system in health and disease. Overactivity of this system contributes strongly to the development and maintenance of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and heart failure. Gianni’s work has looked at therapies that target this system in the form of renal denervation — a surgical approach to lowering blood pressure by ‘silencing’ the nerves which control the kidneys and consequently drive-up blood pressure. They continue to work on projects investigating the role of the microbiome in the development of a hyperactive sympathetic nervous system in patients with hypertension and understanding which brain regions controls blood pressure.

Dr. Taku Furukawa is a PhD candidate at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne and a dual-trained intensivist and anaesthetist. He is completing his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Yugeesh Lankadeva, Prof. Clive May, Dr. Connie Ow, and the late Prof. Rinaldo Bellomo. His research focuses on the mechanisms of acute kidney and brain injury arising from cardiac surgery and sepsis, aiming to develop novel diagnostics and therapeutics. He received the Best Oral Presentation Award at the Hypertension Australia ASM 2023 and represented the society at the British and Irish Hypertension Society meeting in 2024.

I am a final-year PhD candidate at the Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, led by Prof. Chris Sobey and Prof. Grant Drummond. I completed my Master’s in Biomedical and Health Sciences at Monash University in 2020. My research uses single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to investigate the role of human amnionic epithelial cells (hAECs) in stroke, focusing on their neuroprotective effects and impact on cognition. I aim to investigate the effects of stroke on transcriptional changes in brain cell populations and characterize how hAECs influence recovery processes. My work incorporates advanced techniques such as the photothrombotic stroke model, neurobehavioral testing, transcriptomics, and bioinformatics tools to better understand the mechanisms underlying stroke recovery.

Dr. Audrey Adji is a research scientist at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and a research fellow at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. Her work explores pulsatile function in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, including mechanical circulatory support devices in heart failure. She has authored >80 peer-reviewed publications, presented at international conferences, and fostered collaborative research networks. Dr. Adji has received multiple scientific awards and serves on editorial boards of hypertension journals. She mentors postdoctoral fellows and supervises higher degree students across medicine and engineering. As Chair of the Women in Hypertension (Research) Committee at Hypertension Australia and the Early Career Research Network of Pulse of Asia, she advocates for equity and emerging researchers. She is a member of the Hypertension Australia Taskforce and a Fellow of both the International Society of Hypertension and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. Dr. Adji actively cultivates national and global research partnerships.

Phoebe Tsin Tse Cheong is a second-year PhD student at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute of Monash University, and the Victorian Heart Institute (VHI) of the Victorian Heart Hospital in Clayton, VIC. She holds a Masters degree in Microbiome in Health and Disease from King's College London, UK, and Bachelor's degree in Food Science and Nutrition, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Phoebe's academic journey has compelled her to integrate methodologies from interdisciplinary aspects to uncover the potential of the gut microbiome for biotherapies. Her keen interest is in the modulation of the gut microbiome in health and diseases, particularly in blood pressure regulation. Phoebe's dedication to research has been recognized with the VHI travel grant, which has enabled her to present her findings at the Human Microbiome Symposium, in EMBL Heidelberg, Germany. Phoebe aspires to contribute to the growing field of microbiome research and its translational potential in precision and personalised nutrition.

Dr. Daria Gutteridge is a postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of South Australia (UniSA) where she focuses on the quality use of medicines in Australian aged care facilities, working on the MRFF-funded PHarmacists Actioning Rational use of Medicines in Aged Care (PHARMA-Care) project. At the end of 2023, Daria completed her PhD in the field of Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience) at UniSA, at the Cognitive Ageing and Impairment Neuroscience Lab. Her PhD focused on the relationship between blood pressure variability, cognitive functioning and cerebrovascular health in older adults. Daria is an early career researcher who is passionate about improving cardiovascular health, cognitive functioning and aged care services to advance the quality of life and health outcomes in older adults.

Dr Katrina Mirabito Colafella leads the Molecular and Integrative Mechanisms of Vascular Biology Laboratory at Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI), where she also serves as the inaugural Monash BDI Anita Castan Fellow. Her research vision is to transform the treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular disease through precision medicine, with a focus on sex-specific mechanisms in blood pressure regulation. She is also at the forefront of research into the cardiovascular side effects of cancer therapies, aiming to develop innovative strategies that prevent or reverse these complications. Through her work, Dr Mirabito Colafella is redefining how we understand and treat cardiovascular disease in vulnerable populations, with the ultimate goal of improving long-term health outcomes.