Baird News

Heart failure is a condition where the heart doesn’t pump blood well or does so at the expense of elevated filling pressures. The major need in heart failure today is for a form of heart failure where the heart becomes stiffer with age, accelerated by being overweight, obese, having high blood pressure, and being pre-diabetic…

In this latest update, we are excited to spotlight Lisa Turner and Lorna Beattie. Lisa and Lorna have collectively been managing the Cardiothoracic and Vascular surgery clinical trials for almost 20 years. They both have a nursing background in Cardiothoracic and Vascular surgery including intensive care and post operative management. In the early years they…

Since I started with the Baird Institute 1.5 years ago, my research accomplishments have grown exponentially. This is only possible through the continuous support of my supervisors and mentors within the Centre for Heart Failure and Diseases of the Aorta – Associate Professor Sean Lal, Professor Paul Bannon and Professor John O’Sullivan. Importantly, all these…

We are thrilled to extend to our valued supporters a warm invitation to our upcoming event where we will provide you with a comprehensive update on the groundbreaking research being conducted at The Baird Institute. Your unwavering support has been instrumental in propelling our mission forward, and we are eager to share the progress made…

I grew up just outside of Sydney in the Blue Mountains and completed my Bachelor of Science at the University of Sydney, majoring in physiology. My honours year was focused on diabetes, where I spent time investigating the factors involved in the release of insulin. Following my honours year and a subsequent short research scholarship,…

Only a few of the thousands of patients we see in cardiac surgery become good friends. Dick Shaw was one of those. Dick faced three major heart surgeries, with each one carrying a greater and greater risk. But Dick’s optimism and love for life and his family drove us to keep trying. As his family…

Richard Norman (Dick) Shaw’s journey began on August 14, 1941, in Invercargill, South Island, New Zealand. His early years in Bluff, alongside his parents and cherished older sister Robyn, laid the foundation for a life characterised by resilience, passion, and remarkable adventures. From his days as a Sea Scout, where his love for rugby union…

The Australian population is rapidly ageing, and the number of patients aged 80 years and older presenting for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) is expected to increase. Studies investigating the outcomes of CABG in elderly patients are generally from single centres (eg. a particular hospital) and limited by small numbers and a lack of long-term…

The aorta can be divided into five parts (I-IV). Three of these parts (I-III) compose the thoracic aorta: Ascending aorta (incorporating the aortic valve and the origin of the coronary arteries, which supply the heart), aortic arch (giving origin of the vessels to the head and arms), and descending aorta (with origins of the arteries…