The George Institute for Global Health is thrilled to congratulate doctoral researcher Shaun Khanna on receiving a prestigious Postgraduate Scholarship from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Shaun is one of 67 outstanding graduates to receive funding under the NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarships 2025 scheme, backed by $10.1 million in Australian Government investment to support the next generation of health and medical researchers.
His scholarship will fund groundbreaking research into the role of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in heart failure. EAT is a type of fat surrounding the heart that can release inflammatory substances affecting heart function. Despite its potential impact on heart health, experts still debate whether having more or less EAT is harmful, and little is known about how this fat changes over time or responds to treatment.
Using advanced cardiac CT scans, Shaun will compare heart fat levels across different groups and follow heart failure patients for 12 months to determine whether changes in EAT can predict recovery or treatment response. The findings could lead to more personalised treatment approaches and transform how heart failure is monitored and managed in everyday clinical practice.
Heart failure affects hundreds of thousands of Australians, with reduced ejection fraction occurring in just under half of all cases.
Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler said the scholarships empower Australia's brightest minds to pursue innovative ideas and drive scientific discovery.
"These scholarships strengthen our ability to tackle tomorrow's health challenges and deliver breakthroughs that improve lives.
By:Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Ageing
NHMRC CEO Professor Steve Wesselingh congratulated all successful scholars and highlighted the importance of nurturing emerging talent.
"Our health and medical research system relies on collaboration and sharing of knowledge to accelerate discoveries and their translation into practice to solve health challenges.
This investment through NHMRC's Postgraduate Scholarship program supports not just the individual researchers but also helps to build Australia's future research capacity.
By:Professor Steve Wesselingh, NHMRC CEO
