R25 million Australian grant for top heart researcher

Heart-warming: Prof Karen Sliwa of the Hatter Institute believes a recently awarded R25 million grant will boost a range of research projects to reduce inequality in heart disease in the global South.

Professor Karen Sliwa, director of UCT's Hatter Institute for Cardiology Research in Africa, has together with several Australian collaborators, been awarded a R25 million research grant by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

The grant will go towards building research capacity in reducing inequality in heart disease in South Africa and Australia. One of the research projects this money is earmarked for is the Hatter Institute's Heart of Africa Study. The money will go towards supporting PhD students, and paying for equipment and running expenses. The grant period is from 2013 to 2017.

Sliwa's long-time collaborator, Professor Simon Stewart of the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia and Honorary Professor at the Hatter Institute, is among the chief investigators for this grant.

"This is one of a few South-South collaborations," Sliwa said in reaction to the good news. "The funding will strengthen our collaboration with the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute."

"I am delighted that these funds will allow us to move forward with research projects aimed at a reduction of the precursors of heart disease in pregnancy or identifying those conditions earlier to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality related to cardiovascular disease," she added.