Developing new therapies for heart disease caused by lack of blood flow to the heart

Associate Professor Nathan Palpant, The University of Queensland

2022 Future Leader Fellowship - Level 3

Years funded: 2023-2026

Heart disease is the leading cause of health burden and cost globally, contributing to 32% of worldwide mortality and rising in incidence by ~50% over the past 30 years. On the conservative assumption that each new therapeutic reduces hospitalisation costs by 10%, the overall initial value would equate to savings of $3.4 billion annually across >2 million hospitalisations worldwide.

Building on my Heart Foundation FLF (level 2, 2018-2021), I aim to deliver a new generation of first-in-class gene, cell and drug therapies to block injury responses of the heart. My program identifies stress-response genes, designs new cells resistant to stress, and develops drugs that prevent the heart from injuries associated with acute stress like heart attacks.

My research is embedded with leading international industry partners, chemists and clinical experts to tackle the technological, regulatory and societal challenges, and provide the training environment, research strategy and commercialisation opportunities to achieve this ambitious program.