Professor Anthony Keech
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Professor Anthony Keech

MBBS, VQE (USA), FRACP, MSc, FCSANZ, FAHMS
Professor of Medicine, Cardiology and Epidemiology, Faculty Medicine and Health
Director Cardiovascular Research, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre (FMH)
NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow
Consultant Cardiologist, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Phone
+61 2 9562 5000 OR 500
Fax
+61 2 9562 5387
Details
Websites
Professor Anthony Keech

Professor Anthony (Tony) Keech is senior Principal Research Fellow and Director of Cardiovascular Research at the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre (CTC), a flagship research organization at the University of Sydney.

Professor Keech is Professor of Medicine, Cardiology and Epidemiology at the University of Sydney, an internationally known researcher in the field of cardiovascular clinical trials, and chair and principal investigator of the FIELD diabetes study. His research has influenced health outcomes, particularly in treatments of acute myocardial infarction, cardiovascular disease prevention of chronic heart disease, and diabetes and its vascular complications. He is recognised internationally for collaborative research into coronary risk factors, treatments for acute coronary syndromes, prediction of vascular disease, and treatment and diabetes complication prevention.

Most of Professor Keech’s research has consisted of large national and international projects undertaken in collaboration with many clinical research investigators and drug companies.

Professor Keech is a founding member of the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance (ACTA), formed in 2012 to promote effective and evidence based healthcare in Australia through investigator-initiated clinical trials.

He is a consultant cardiologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and continues to teach students and postgraduates in medicine, public health and epidemiology.

Professor Keech has co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed papers, which have had major impacts on clinical care and health policy.

Professor Keech initiates, leads, designs and conducts clinical trials and meta-analyses in the fields of diabetes, CVD and beyond, and oversees a basic research program focused on identifying biomarkers for diagnosis and response to treatment of the vascular complications of diabetes. He also conducts Trial Methods Research, which involves developing further sophisticated methods of randomization and many other aspects of trial design and analysis.

He continues to lead the FIELD study of nearly 10,000 patients, comprising a number of substudies evaluating risk-related molecular and other biomarker data for vascular disease prediction and prevention. His team has identified major pathways of fenofibrate protection against retinopathy and amputations and is investigating the mechanisms of its renoprotective effects. Additionally, DNA methylation studies and microRNA studies are underway, complementing major biomarker work related to lipids, inflammation, oxidative stress and angiogenesis.

Other trials include START-UP, a RCT evaluating whether postoperative atrial pacing and prophylactic amiodarone drug therapy can safely and effectively eliminate post-surgical atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing arterial bypass or valve replacement surgery. He is co-chair of the LEAP study of lactoferrin in anaemia of pregnancy and is involved in the evaluation of an SSRI (sertraline) for reducing impulsivity in repeat violent offenders. He has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers, won more then $200 million in grant income, and authored a major text explaining how and why randomised trials are performed.

Committee Memberships

  • Australian Clinical Trials Alliance board member
  • NHMRC CTC Scientific Advisory Committee, Management Review Committee
  • Chair, Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD)
  • Management Committee, Long-term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischaemic Disease (LIPID)
  • Co-principal investigator, Cholesterol Treatment Trialists Collaboration (CTTC)
  • Virtual Coordinating Centre for International Collaborative Cardiovascular Research
Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Publications

Selected Grants

2022

  • A randomised clinical trial of a digital self management program for people with Interstitial Lung Disease (REBUILD-SM trial), Corte T, Holland A, Chambers D, Palmer A, Glaspole I, Moodley Y, Keech A, Laranjo L, Knibbs L, Troy L, Cox N, Cox I, Goh N, Troy L, Department of Health and Aged Care (Federal - administered by NHMRC)/MRFF 2021 Chronic Respiratory Conditions
  • COLCARDIO-ACS cognitive substudy (COG), Keech A, Brain and Mind Centre/National Heart Foundation Vanguard Grant

2021

  • New Frontiers in Personalised Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease, Figtree G, Celemajer D, Chow C, Fazekas de St Groth B, Drummond G, Ellinor P, Grieve S, Jenkins A, Kassiou M, Keech A, Kovacic J, Larance M, Marwick T, McGuire H, Meikle P, Nicholls S, O'Sullivan J, Peter K, Ritchie R, Shaw J, Simes R, Walley T, Wilson A, Department of Health and Aged Care (Federal)/MRFF - Frontier Health and Medical Research Program, Stage One
  • Digital solutions for heart failure best practice care, Keech A, Lal S, Macdonald P, Ferguson C, Ryan C, Jenkins A, Dempsey K, O'Connell R, Kilov G, Department of Health and Aged Care (Federal)/MRFF - Cardiovascular Health Mission
  • SAFER (AUS) Trial: Screening for Atrial Fibrillation with ECG to Reduce stroke - a randomised controlled trial, Freedman B, Nelson M, Keech A, Lowres N, Hespe C, Cadilhac D, Mant J, Thijs V, Simes R, Department of Health and Aged Care (Federal - administered by NHMRC)/MRFF International Clinical Trial Collaborations
  • Efficacy and Value In ExpeDited out of hospital arrEst care ANd ECMO CPR (ECPR) The EVIDENCE Study, Dennis M, Burns B, Keech A, Moylan E, NSW Health/Translational Research Grants Scheme