From fragmented datasets to a unified national picture, Associate Professor Lee Nedkoff is helping lead the push for a more connected approach to cardiovascular disease in Australia. 

Making a difference at a population level is what inspires Associate Professor Lee Nedkoff in her work as a cardiovascular epidemiologist, where improving outcomes goes beyond individual patients to understanding and shaping health across entire populations.

Currently a member of ACvA’s National Cardiovascular Data Working Group, Co-Director of the ACvA Big Data Flagship, and a member of the ACvA Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), A/Prof Nedkoff first joined ACvA as an EMCR. From the outset, she was drawn to the organisation’s collaborative approach.

“I really like the idea of bringing people together around a shared challenge,” she says. “Particularly in a country like Australia, where efforts can easily become fragmented.”

For her, ACvA represented a way to break down silos and create a more coordinated approach to tackling cardiovascular disease.

A/Prof Nedkoff began her career in allied health, working as a physiotherapist in hospitals with patients experiencing a wide range of acute and chronic conditions. Her introduction to epidemiology came during a Master of Public Health, where exposure to cardiology-related subjects sparked a lasting interest.

“It made a lot of sense to me,” she says. “I loved the potential to make a difference at a population level rather than just an individual patient level.”

Today, she is a Principal Research Fellow in cardiovascular disease epidemiology at the University of Western Australia (UWA), Co-Director of the UWA Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Centre, and Head of the Cardiology Population Health Lab at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (UWA Hub). She also serves as a Board member of CSANZ and Chair of its Allied Health, Science and Technology Council.

A key highlight of her recent work with ACvA has been the National Cardiovascular Data Summit and the consequent report and momentum it has generated.

Australia currently lacks a comprehensive, linked view of cardiovascular disease and stroke data, making it difficult to track the whole patient journey across prevention, treatment, community care and outcomes.

“The National Cardiovascular Data Summit was held to bring everyone together and come up with key priorities to get us to the endpoint of monitoring cardiovascular disease and stroke in a standardised way,” she explains.

While a significant amount of data is already collected, it often exists in isolation. One of the Summit’s strengths was its ability to convene a remarkably diverse group, including representatives from government departments, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, clinicians, data custodians, registries, academics, and industry, all aligned around a common goal.

For A/Prof Nedkoff, this shared intent was one of the most energising aspects of the initiative. She describes the experience as both exciting and encouraging, highlighting the rare opportunity to see so many parts of the system working toward the same outcome.

“It’s exciting to think we may be moving towards a national CVD data platform that can monitor disease burden, track disparities, and identify trends in a consistent and timely way,” she says. “This would enable more responsive clinical care, as well as better-informed policy decisions and health system planning.”

Ultimately, the goal is to establish a national dataset that can be used in near real time, turning data into actionable insights that improve cardiovascular outcomes across Australia.

You can find more information on becoming an ACvA member here.

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