Heart Research Institute (HRI)

For over 20 years, The Heart Research Institute has been one of Australia’s leading research organisations working to detect, prevent and treat heart disease.

Through our research, The Heart Research Institute has made significant findings that have changed the way we live with and treat Australia’s number one killer.

Our scientists are working across a field of research areas to identify factors which contribute to an increased risk of heart disease. Understanding the underlying causes of heart disease is the key to finding a solution.
There is no simple method of diagnosing heart disease before symptoms appear or when a person has a heart attack. By this stage the disease is advanced and more difficult to treat.

Identifying atherosclerosis is only useful if we have methods to stop and reverse it.  Current treatments are of limited success.  Through our research we are working to understand how atherosclerosis develops, making the cure for the disease much more likely.

By understanding how the disease starts and develops we will be able to identify ways to prevent or avoid heart disease. The Heart Research Institute currently has projects looking at the chemical process of oxidation and the protective effects of antioxidants, along with research into an inflammatory process similar to arthritis that has been identified as significant in the development of atherosclerosis.