Professor Anthony Rodgers has won the 2025 Ministerial Award for Cardiovascular Research Excellence.
The award recognises researchers who have made life-long contributions to breakthroughs in cardiovascular disease. Anthony received it from the Hon. David Harris MP at the NSW Cardiovascular Research Network (CVRN) Showcase and Awards Ceremony on Monday 23 February 2026 at the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney.
The award acknowledges a remarkable 30-year career - Anthony has authored more than 600 peer-reviewed publications in journals including The Lancet, JAMA, NEJM and BMJ, and secured over $100 million in competitive grants.
But it's his work translating research into real-world solutions that really sets him apart.
Anthony led the Institute's development of a low-dose triple combination pill for hypertension from concept to global impact. The therapy achieved FDA approval in 2025, leading the way for the category to be included on the WHO Essential Medicines List in the same year. It has also shown promise in stroke prevention, cutting the risk of a secondary event by 40% in the landmark TRIDENT trial.
The Institute's venture-backed spin off, George Medicines, has raised $70 million to help make this new therapy accessible to patients around the world, putting NSW on the map as a global hub for hypertension combination therapy.
In addition to this impressive body of research work, he's also supervised 18 PhD students and leads MAGNET, Australia's first national adult mental-health trials network.
Professor Alta Schutte, who nominated Anthony, called him "an outstanding candidate" whose achievements reflect exceptional scientific innovation and long-term capacity building for cardiovascular research in NSW.
