Chronic disease network

Heart health

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year.

Through the Project Echo ‘Chronic Disease Network: Heart Health’, a multidisciplinary team of health professionals is aiming to better understand CVDs and how to tackle it in the Northern Territory (NT). The NT faces alarmingly high rates of heart-related hospital admissions and mortality, particularly among its First Nations population. You are cordially invited to join our virtual network where we hope to learn from each other through shared experiences and expertise.

Expert panel

Dr Penny Stewart

ICU Consultant, Alice Springs
Chair, Rural Committee, College Intensive Care Medicine
Council member – National Rural Health Alliance
Acute interest in First Nations and rural health

Dr Sara Zabeen

PhD (Integrated care), MPH (Research), MHID, MSS (Economics), BSS (Economics)
Lecturer (Health Professions & Society) and Post-doc Research Associate, Rural & Remote Health, NT.
Public health professional with research and teaching experience
Key Fields of Research: health sciences, public health, health promotion, health services and systems, health and community services, environmental management, health policy and First Nations wellbeing
Read more about Dr Zabeen

Dr Bryce Brickley

PhD (Primary health care), B NutrDiet (hons)
Early career researcher, dietitian and program evaluator
Currently leading research to support men's health in the Northern Territory.
Advisory Board Member of the National Heart Foundation of Australia (NT Division)
Research interests are related to healthy lifestyles and nutrition, behavioural change and health services research
Key projects include adapting and delivering the Aussie-FIT Program across the Northern Territory
Read more about Dr Brickley

Le Smith

National Manager Population Health & Wellbeing – Heart Foundation
Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Flinders University College of Medicine & Public Health
Honorary Research Fellow of Menzies School of Health Research
Committee and board membership: National Rheumatic Fever Strategy Joint Advisory Committee, National Mental Health Workforce Strategy Taskforce, NT Transition to Community Control Steering Committees and NT Chronic Conditions Strategy