Dr Figueiredo Galvao is a post-doctoral research officer at the Center for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research at La Trobe University. Her work investigates the role of immune-mediated inflammation in the development of hypertension. She uses a range of pharmacological interventions, genetically modified mice and next generation single-cell transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing to expand the current knowledge in her field.

Tim Murphy is a Senior Lecturer in Physiology at UNSW Sydney. He has more than 25 years of experience and more than 60 publications in the area of vascular structure-function studies in health and disease. Dr Murphy is one of the foremost experts in small artery myography, pharmacology and physiology in Australia. His research interests include uterine resistance artery function in pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, and mechanosensitive responses of resistance arteries in health and disease.

Buddhila Wickramasinghe is a final-year PhD candidate in the Hypertension and Diabetes division at the Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Her research focuses on understanding the role of the immune system in hypertension and chronic kidney disease by utilizing various animal models and in vitro methods. As she continues to develop her research profile, she has presented her work at both national and international conferences, including the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia ASM and International Society of Hypertension Scientific Sessions. In addition to her research, Buddhila advocates for HDR students as the student representative for the Cardiovascular SIG of ASCEPT. She is also dedicated to promoting STEM education and inspiring the next generation of scientists by engaging with primary and high school students.

A/Prof Antony Vinh is a Principal Research Fellow in the Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology at La Trobe University, where he leads the Hypertension and Diabetes Division within the Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research. He earned his Ph.D. from Monash University in 2008 and completed postdoctoral training at Emory University’s Division of Cardiology, specializing in immunity and hypertension. Since joining La Trobe University in 2017, his research program has received continuous funding from the NHMRC. A/Prof Vinh’s work has significantly advanced our understanding of the roles of inflammasomes, interleukin-18, and B cells in hypertension, vascular diseases and kidney damage.

Mitra Esfandiarei, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Midwestern University and a Research Professor in the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona. She is also an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, & Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia. Her research centers on cardiovascular pathophysiology, with a particular focus on vascular biology and the molecular mechanisms underlying aortic aneurysm development and progression. Dr. Esfandiarei’s work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, The Marfan Foundation, and other agencies. Her research program integrates experimental models, vascular imaging, and mechanistic studies to identify therapeutic targets and improve prevention strategies for genetic and acquired vascular diseases. An active mentor and academic leader, she has served as President of the Arizona Physiological Society and Program Coordinator for the Master of Biomedical Sciences Program at Midwestern University. She also contributes to the scientific community as an editorial board member for Nature Communications Biology, Scientific Reports, and Frontiers in Physiology, among others. Her work has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, invited lectures, and collaborations aimed at advancing understanding of vascular function, endothelial signaling, and sex-dependent mechanisms in cardiovascular disease.

Professor Chamila Mettananda graduated with MBBS from the University of Peradeniya in 2004, achieving 8 distinctions and earning the University Gold Medal for the best performance in Final MBBS. She went on to obtain an MD in Medicine in 2010, MRCP (UK) in 2013, and a PhD in 2017. Her training includes experience in Acute General Medicine at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK, and Stroke research at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford. She is a board-certified specialist in General Medicine and Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Kelaniya. Her research focuses on stroke and cardiovascular epidemiology, with over 1,200 citations and extensive publications. She has been elected Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (2019), and the American College of Physicians (2020). She has held multiple leadership roles across national medical organisations and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the Ceylon College of Physicians. Her contributions have been recognised through numerous national and international awards, including major research, teaching, and clinical excellence honours across her career.