The Heart Research Institute

31/07/2026

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29/07/2026

Heart failure affects a growing number of Australians, and transplants remain out of reach for most who need them.

HRI researcher Associate Professor Carmine Gentile has written for Life Science Daily about his team's work developing a less invasive alternative to heart transplant.

His research has focused on developing a 3D-printed "mini-heart" patch: a personalised, flexible scaffold built from a patient's own stem cells and silk fibroin, designed to support damaged cardiac tissue.

In pre-clinical testing, the patch has helped a failing heart pump blood more effectively. Because it's foldable, it could potentially be delivered via keyhole surgery, a far less invasive option than the open-chest procedure required for a heart transplant.

Associate Professor Carmine Gentile's goal is for his technology to reach clinical trials within the next 5–10 years, offering an alternative for selected patients.

The research is a joint effort between HRI and the University of Technology Sydney. Read more here: https://lifesciencedaily.news/3d-printed-heart-patch/

Discover how a 3D printed heart patch using silk and stem cells aims to treat heart failure as a less invasive transplant alternative.

16/07/2026

MAJOR GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Congratulations to HRI's Professor Mary Kavurma, who has been awarded a $3 million grant from the Federal Government's Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to investigate an overlooked factor in heart disease risk for women: menopause.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Australian women, and yet how menopause affects heart health is poorly understood. This project will investigate changes in blood vessel health during the menopausal transition, working towards a diagnostic test to catch early arterial dysfunction and a non-hormonal therapeutic to treat it, in order to reduce future CVD risk.

With Australian women now spending more than 40% of their lives in a peri-to-postmenopausal phase, this research could help identify risk earlier and prevent disease before it takes hold.

The research will also partner with HRI's Djurali Centre to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are engaged through culturally informed methodology, recognising that Indigenous women may enter menopause earlier and face heightened cardiovascular risk.

This national initiative brings together researchers and clinicians from the University of Sydney, Jean Hailes for Women's Health, Sydney Local Health District, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, La Trobe University and Monash University.

Thanks to the MRFF, as well as our partners Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, Her Heart Charity, Menopause Alliance Australia and Sydney Health Partners, for helping make this work possible.

13/07/2026

HRI has installed the ZEISS LSM 910 with Lightfield 4D and Airyscan 2, the first microscope imaging system of its kind in Australia. It's a major step up for how our scientists will be able to image living biology, and will be particularly relevant to working with organoids.

The system captures a full 3D volume in a single snap. Imaging that used to take 16 hours now takes about 22 minutes - which means faster progress towards research outcomes that matter for patients with heart disease.

Click on the donate button in the banner if you'd like to help fund the resources and equipment we need for our life-saving research!

01/07/2026

Channel Ten News has featured Associate Professor Carmine Gentile's pioneering work on bioengineered cardiac patches, or 'heart band-aids'. These are tiny, 3-D printed patches made using a patient's own cells and designed to be applied directly to the heart to repair damage caused by heart attacks. Harnessing stem cells to grow living tissue that mimics the heart's natural muscle, these patches could be a real gamechanger in reducing the need for hugely invasive heart transplants.

The research is co-funded by the Heart Research Institute and the University of Technology Sydney.

Watch the full Channel Ten News story here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-wXS2ohNCU&list=PL0rMWjhVf8Sc_ihCS0bfXK_grBpUQReWD&index=5

Australian researchers have developed a 3D-printed “heart patch” th...

27/06/2026

We’re thrilled to announce that three HRI researchers have been awarded grants through the NSW Health Cardiovascular Capacity Building Program, worth over $1.6 million.

Dr Sian Cartland and her team receive a $450,000 EMCR Scientist Grant over three years for work on restoring myeloid derived suppressor cell function via TRIAL signalling to reduce vascular inflammation in atherosclerosis.

Prof Geoff Strange and his team receive a $750,000 Senior Scientist Grant over three years for health encounter evaluations to reduce trends in ED for CHD (HEART-ED).

Dr Faraz Pathan and his team receive a $450,000 EMCR Scientist Grant of over three years for work on the cardiometabolic impact of an exercise break during office hours: a randomised controlled trial of health care workers.

Congratulations to all our grant recipients!

26/06/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our Consumer Panel Presentation at HRI this week.

The session featured four fascinating presentations from HRI researchers, generating thoughtful discussion and valuable insights. These conversations help ensure our research remains grounded in the lived experiences of patients, families and communities.

Our presenters included:

♥ Katie Moore (Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research and Education), who talked about Closing the Gap with community-led and lived experience research;

♥ Professor Professor Julie McMullen (Heart Muscle Lab), who presented her team’s work on developing a blood test to diagnose atrial cardiomyopathy after stroke;

♥ Dr Christopher Stanley (Microvascular Research Lab), whose research involves better understanding endothelial function and dysfunction, with the aim of reducing cardiovascular disorders;

♥ Dr Xuyu (Johnny) Liu (Cardioprotective-Signalling and Drug Discovery Lab), who presented work on a new medicine to potentially treat dangerous blood clots in pancreatic cancer.

If you or someone you care for has been affected by cardiovascular disease and would like to help shape the future of heart research, we'd love to hear from you. Learn more about HRI's Consumer Program and how to get involved: https://www.hri.org.au/our-research/consumer-program

24/06/2026

Could a personalised “heart patch” one day reduce the need for heart transplants?

News.com.au today highlights the groundbreaking work of HRI and UTS researcher Associate Professor Carmine Gentile and his team, who are developing bioengineered 'patches' designed to repair damaged heart tissue, using a patient’s own cells.

After more than two decades of research, the team has achieved a major breakthrough by incorporating natural silk into the patch, giving it the flexibility needed to contract and relax with the beating heart. The innovation could pave the way for a less invasive and more accessible alternative to a heart transplant.

For people living with heart failure, this could be a game-changer. Unlike heart transplants, this technology is not limited by organ availability, nor does it require lifelong immuno-suppressant medication. The next step is advancing the technology into clinical trials.

Read the full story: https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/new-heart-bandaid-tech-could-serve-as-cheaper-more-accessible-heart-transplant-alternative/news-story/95ebdcd7ecf1270222d7964a86f5659f

A genetic “Band-Aid” designed to patch up injured hearts could be the answer to the age-old problem of lengthy heart transplant waitlists and risky surgeries, thanks to a recent technological breakthrough.

22/06/2026

Elle’s entire life has been shaped by complex congenital heart disease. Her heart is broken, and until now, open-heart surgeries have been her only option.

New heart research could mend broken hearts like Elle’s, but we need your support to make it a reality.

Please give by 30 June to give hope to people like Elle. ❤️‍🩹 Visit https://give.hri.org.au/elle to donate today.

15/06/2026

What if there was a better way to treat heart failure than helplessly waiting for a donor heart?

Associate Professor Carmine Gentile, Head of the Cardiovascular Regeneration Lab at HRI has spent 15 years working on ‘mini-hearts’. These 3D printed stem cell ‘patches’ are placed over damaged areas of the heart via keyhole surgery, so it can heal – no transplant required.

Will you help make these ‘mini-hearts’ a reality for the 10,000+ Australians who develop heart failure disease every year? Visit https://give.hri.org.au/elle to donate today ♥