I am a PhD candidate with the Heart Research Group at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne, and the Departments of Cardiology and Nephrology at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

In my PhD, I am investigating strategies to increase blood pressure screening in children and adolescents. My current research into this space includes; (1) running a world-first pilot school-based heart health education and blood pressure screening program; (2) a more targeted home blood pressure screening program with children at higher risk of hypertension; and (3) validating an automated BP device for accuracy in children and adolescents. Through this work, we have found that school screening is acceptable and feasible, sending BP machines home to families and having them return them after using them is easy and preferable, and that we can and need to find more devices that are accurate in children and adolescents.

My work has also been recognised through multiple awards, such as the 2023 Campion-Ma-Playoust award from the Australian Society for Medical Research, as well as awards from both Hypertension Australia and the University of Melbourne.

In addition to my independent research, I am collaborating on multiple other projects. As an example, I’m currently part of a small but growing team building a new initiative to create a healthier start in life for Australian children through both individual and systems-based interventions with the aim of reducing long term cardiovascular risk. While this includes reducing childhood hypertension, it is more focused on upstream factors such as poor diet, sedentary behaviours, and low sleep. I’m also helping to build greater collaboration and coordination by being an inaugural member of the steering committee of BPOzKids, a national network for paediatric blood pressure research in Australia. I’ve also had a long interest in the technology behind blood pressure measurement and have been involved in multiple studies looking at device validation in children and adolescents, as well as studies looking at exercising blood pressure and central blood pressure.

Finally, I’ve also been involved in a lot of consumer engagement through information sessions such as the MCRI Kidney Flagship’s Meet the Scientists Program in November 2023, or through MCRI social media posts explaining my research in accessible, easy to understand language. This, along with media reporting and other engagement programs have allowed me to increase awareness about the implications of paediatric hypertension, and to encourage everyone to know their numbers, ensure they exercise and have an active lifestyle, have a healthy diet and get enough sleep to improve their heart health.