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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CASE STUDY High blood pressure and shorter sleep may worsen brain decline
People with high blood pressure who also lack sleep may be at increased risk of reduced cognitive performance and greater brain injury, Monash University research has found.
Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers assessed whether the combined effect of hypertension and short sleep duration had a negative impact on brain health.
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Big data to improve the use of antidepressant medicines in aged care
Georgina Hughes is a pharmacist & PhD Candidate with the University of South Australia Clinical and Health Sciences and the Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA), undertaking research at South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
Georgina’s PhD study and first published paper was on how to improve the safe and effective use of antidepressant medicines and optimise quality use of medicines in older people accessing residential aged care.
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Healthcare associated infection prevention
Professor Philip Russo is an internationally regarded expert in healthcare associated infection prevention, and led the recently completed the Australian National Healthcare Associated Infection Point Prevalence Survey, the first in Australia for 34 years. He is also Past President of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC), the peak body for Infection Prevention and Control professionals in the Australasian region.
