Hypertension Australia’s 2024 Winter School: A resounding success
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by
Michele
MicheleThe Hypertension Australia Winter School online event, held last month, has been hailed as a resounding success, bringing together researchers, clinicians, and consumer advisors for a day of comprehensive learning and collaboration in the field of hypertension research and management.
We extend our gratitude to our esteemed presenters who covered a wide range of topics, from basic science to clinical research and health services.
Dr Xiaoyue (Luna) Xu
Dr Dean Picone
Dr Lachlan Dalli
Dr Annet Kirabo
The event, organised by Bhavisha Bakrania and Kaylee Slater on behalf of the Early Career Researcher (ECR) committee, attracted an impressive turnout with 53 individual registrations. Throughout the day, attendance remained consistently high, with between 30 to 47 participants engaged at any given time.
Kaylee Slater expressed her gratitude to all attendees, chairs, and speakers. The diverse program covered a wide range of topics, including basic science, epidemiology, clinical research, and health services research related to hypertension. This multidisciplinary approach provided attendees with a holistic view of the current state of hypertension research and management in Australia.
One of the highlights of the event was the consumer panel, featuring John Stevens, Angela Todd, and Niamh Chapman. Their participation brought a crucial perspective to the discussions, emphasising the real-world impact of hypertension research on patients’ lives. John Stevens shared his powerful story as a stroke survivor and consumer advisor, illustrating how involvement in research has positively influenced his recovery and self-perception.
Dr Angela Todd
John Stevens
Dr Niamh Chapman
Stevens’ testimony resonated deeply with the audience. He eloquently described the transformative experience of a stroke.
“I really enjoyed speaking at the Hypertension Winter School as it gave me a chance to share my experiences as a consumer advisor with experts. It is important from a consumer’s point of view that our knowledge and experience of the chronic disease is recognised and speaking on the Panel was a great way to spread that message.
What makes you you, and me me is our brain. When you have a stroke part of your brain dies and with it a part of you, and you become a different you. The new you is not necessarily better or worse it is just different. This difference can manifest itself in many ways – physically, communication, cognitively, personality and emotionally. After a stroke I struggled with victim mentality, particularly as I was viewed by people and society as a weaker version of the me than I used to be.
Having my experience and associated advice sought out raised my self-esteem and consequently empowered me to talk openly about my experience instead of hiding it and treating it as a weakness. Now I think of my lived experience as one of my strengths!”
His journey from struggling with victim mentality to viewing his lived experience as a strength was both inspiring and enlightening for the researchers present.
The event also proved valuable for early-career researchers and those new to the field of hypertension. Ritu Trivedi, an academic attendee, praised the Winter School for providing “great insights into the hypertension research happening in Australia.” This sentiment echoes the event’s success in fostering knowledge exchange and potentially inspiring new collaborations within the research community.
The success of the 2024 Winter School sets a high standard for future events, demonstrating the value of combining scientific presentations with patient perspectives to bridge the gap between research and real-world applications.
