Research Supervisor Connect
We are currently looking for a PhD candidate to lead a series of studies alongside a passionate group of clinicians and researchers within the CardioSleep research program at the Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney. The primary focus of the candidature is to profile the prevalence, severity and causes of sleep-disordered breathing in patients who have been diagnosed with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) - a debilitating and incurable form of Heart Failure that affects millions of people around the world. The research will incorporate an interdisciplinary team collaborating across academic, hospital and international settings to better understand and treat sleep-disordered breathing in HFpEF.
Camperdown - Charles Perkins Centre
Despite a rapidly growing prevalence and healthcare burden of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) in Australia and around the world, our understanding of the disease process remains limited and there are very few treatment options currently available. Sleep-disordered breathing, such as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), is emerging as an important “silent” risk factor in HFpEF that is associated with poorer outcomes and higher healthcare burden. OSA is one of the most common non-communicable chronic diseases, with an estimated global prevalence of 1 billion people, and is characterised by repeated collapse of the throat passage, resulting in intermittent periods of low oxygen levels, sleep disturbance, and exaggerated breathing efforts that cause large pressures inside the chest. There is strong epidemiological evidence of an association between OSA and HFpEF, and observational studies have shown that OSA treatment can improve cardiovascular function. However, the direct mechanisms by which treating OSA improves cardiovascular health is not clear and more definitive evidence is required for a causal role of OSA in the development and progression of HFpEF. This project brings together state of the art technology and a multidisciplinary team of world-renowned researchers across cardiology, respiratory and sleep medicine to assess the effects of OSA on heart structure and function in HFpEF patients.
The candidature will also include opportunities to contribute to the broader CardioSleep research program which is enhancing local and international partnerships to drive impactful research and generate improved health outcomes for our community and optimal health care delivery. The project will build on existing capabilities and collaborations, including the Sydney Sleep Biobank, and will enhance research capacity through interdisciplinary research training and consumer engagement.
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3323