NON-INVASIVE TOOLS FOR CVD SCREENING AND MONITORING
Dr Hadi Afsharan,
Research Fellow
University of Western Australia &
Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research,
Perth, Western Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Perth, Australia | November 2025
Dr Hadi Afsharan is a Research Fellow Cardiovascular Science & Diabetes at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research; is a translational research and innovation fellow in medical technologies at The University of Western Australia, holding dual titles as Translational Fellow and Innovation Fellow within UWA’s Medical School and the FHRI (Future Health Research and Innovation) program.
He earned his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from UWA in 2023, with a thesis entitled Development of Polarisation-Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography for Application in Medical Diagnosis, which introduced a pioneering non-invasive imaging method for detecting hypertension and diabetes by analysing retinal blood vessel wall birefringence with exceptional sensitivity and specificity.
Hadi leads several translational research projects, including AI-based retinal biomarkers for coronary artery disease screening, low-cost imaging technologies for heart disease detection in remote communities, and radar-based non-contact measurement of jugular venous pressure, all supported by over $1.8 million in competitive funding from FHRI and UWA.
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7874-2766
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Pathogenicity, modelling & treatment of inherited retinal Stargardt disease
Dr Di Huang is a Research Associate at the Lions Eye Institute (LEI), working with A/Professor Fred Chen and Dr Sam McLenachan. Her research focuses on developing a robust platform of retinal pigment epithelium cells and retinal organoids derived from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells to model inherited retinal diseases, particularly Stargardt disease (STGD1).
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Investigating invasive lobular carcinoma and metaplastic breast cancer sub-types
Assoc Prof McCart Reed is the scientific lead on an MRFF-funded (Medical Research Future Fund) genomics program investigating the potential for the application of Whole Genome Sequencing in the breast cancer care pathway in Australia, ‘Q-IMPROvE’. She applies genomics and spatial transcriptomics methodologies to archival clinical samples to understand the differences between tumour types and their potential for treatment. Amy is passionate about clinical research, biobanking and precision oncology. In addition to her breast cancer research portfolio, she is on the steering committee for the Brisbane Breast Bank and the Scientific Advisory Board for Breast Cancer Trials.
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Vaccine effectiveness against infections triggering autoimmune disease
Dr Deborah Burnett is a Scientia Senior Lecturer and Laboratory Head at UNSW, where she leads a multidisciplinary research program spanning mechanistic immunology and translational vaccinology. Her work focuses on understanding how immune responses can protect against challenging infectious threats, including bacterial infections and infections associated with autoimmune disease.
