ACvA Members’ Forum – Melbourne, 19 September 2025

The recent ACvA Members’ Forum in Melbourne was an invaluable opportunity for members to connect face-to-face, share updates on key initiatives, and contribute to shaping our collective future. With a strong focus on aligning strategy and advocacy efforts, the forum centred on preparing for the upcoming MRFF Cardiovascular Health Mission review and providing feedback on the NHMR draft strategy.

It was fantastic to see so many members in attendance, and we were especially grateful for the thoughtful insights and priorities shared during the afternoon discussion sessions.

Session Highlights

Session 1 – Setting the Scene

ACvA President Prof. Jason Kovacic and Jody Fassina opened the forum by outlining the current state of funding and the broader political landscape influencing cardiovascular research. Their insights provided important context for our strategic discussions.

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Session 2 – Clinical Themes Initiative

ACvA CEO Rob Tassie introduced our evolving Clinical Themes Initiative, followed by presentations from leaders of several key clinical themes

• Hypertension – Prof. Alta Schutte
• Heart Failure & Frailty – Prof. Caleb Ferguson and Dr. Julee McDonagh
• Stroke – Prof. Natasha Lannin
• Coronary Artery Disease – Dr. Lee Nedkoff

We also heard from Dr Andrew Goodman  regarding the Clinical Theme Seed Funding he received for his project to develop an action plan for hypertension management specifically tailored to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Session 3 – Future Directions for ACvA Committees

Rob Tassie and Project Manager Meng Hsu took questions and spoke about future directions for the ACvA Scientific Advisory Committee and Emerging Leaders Committee.

Session 4 – Advocacy and Real-World Impact

Christine Rees, who has lived experience of heart disease, shared a powerful personal story, reinforcing the real-world impact of cardiovascular research.
Prof. Jason Kovacic spoke on the role of advocacy and government engagement, including ACvA’s Cardiovascular Health Leadership Research Forum.

Both the Big Data (Dominque Cadhilac) and Precision Medicine(Peter Meikle) Flagships also spoke on current work plans.

Session 5 – Policy, Priorities and Advocacy

The final session focused on current and upcoming health and medical research policy reviews, including the MRFF Cardiovascular Health Mission and the NHMR and SERD strategies. Members engaged in productive discussion to identify priority areas, challenges, and opportunities for strategic advocacy.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Your engagement is instrumental in guiding the ACvA’s work and ensuring our collective voice is heard as we advocate for key cardiovascular research funding and priorities.

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