Centre for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a type of cardiovascular disease due to narrowing of blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to distant sites. The reduced blood flow can affect all organs, but the common form is seen in the lower extremities, such as the legs and feet.

PAD has profoundly negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of Australians, which spills over into ever-increasing costs to diagnose and treat it.

The Centre for PAD is working in a new way to mitigate the negative health and financial impacts of PAD and create a more positive therapeutic experience for patients. Through our world-leading research, our vision is to enhance diagnosis, transform treatment, and raise awareness of PAD for all Australians.

The Centre acts as a hub for PAD experts spanning Sydney Local Health District’s Royal Prince Alfred and Concord Hospitals, The University of Sydney, and several research institutes. In this way, the Centre provides a way to transcend the usual silos that prevent consumers, researchers, clinicians and industry professionals from collaborating and developing new insights, tools, models, and therapies together to treat PAD.

The Centre for PAD represents a major step forward in driving dedicated research, collaboration, and advocacy for this often-overlooked cardiovascular disease. By creating a platform that unites researchers, clinicians, consumers and industry partners, we are strengthening efforts to improve diagnostics, treatment strategies, and patient outcomes.

The inaugural PAD Colloquium, which was held in August, bringing together the national PAD community for the first time, with 97 attendees. The program featured diverse speakers, representing a range of backgrounds and perspectives including patient challenges, peer support for amputees, research into patient care, research into novel treatments and therapies as well as a round table discussion on gaps in knowledge and potential solutions. Speakers ranged from consumers, EMCRs, clinicians, discovery scientists from USyd, UTS, UNSW, UWA, University of Otago New Zealand, HRI, Centenary, Anzac Research Institute, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research (WA), RPAH, Concord Hospital, RNSH, Westmead Hospital. It was a milestone event, fostering national collaboration and knowledge-sharing among experts in the field. It has laid the foundation for future initiatives, research partnerships, and ultimately, a stronger, more connected PAD research community. Seeing the enthusiasm and commitment from colleagues across Australia reaffirmed the urgent need to prioritise PAD and accelerate progress in this space.

The Centre for PAD also organised two consumer group meetings in 2024. These provided a vital platform for patients to share their experiences, challenges, and perspectives. The discussions have been invaluable in shaping our research priorities, ensuring that our work is aligned with the needs of those living with PAD. We were able to identify patients interested in advocating for PAD including Mr Simon Josephson, who was happy to share his story on Channel 9 news. By bringing together researchers, clinicians, and consumers, we are not only advancing scientific discovery but also working towards real-world impact in improving PAD care and outcomes.

• Discovery Lead – Assoc Prof Mary Kavurma
• Clinical Lead – Assoc Prof Sarah Aitken
• Clinical Lead – Dr David Robinson
• Science Strategy – Prof Mathew Vadas
• Science Strategy – Prof Andrew Coats

• Sydney Local Health District (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Concord Hospital)
• The University of Sydney
• Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
• Centenary Institute
• University of New South Wales
• University of Technology Sydney

• VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Join the journey towards better health. Download the flyer.

Two clinical trials in the PAD space currently seeking participants are SHAPE and MERIT.

• VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Join the journey towards better health. Download the flyer.
• SHAPE: Looking at the effect of supervised exercise compared to a telehealth delivered program. Download the flyer.
• MERIT: Looking at the effect of metformin in PAD. Download the flyer.

People living with PAD are at the heart of our work, and we invite you to join our important mission.

• Be part of the HRI Centre for PAD community, become an ambassador and get involved in events, seminars, advocacy and clinical trials.
• Help our researchers understand patient challenges and lived experience of PAD.
• See the research we do and value add to make a real difference to your community.

Siân P Cartland^#, Manisha S Patil^#, Lauren Boccanfuso, Elaina Kelland, Malathi Dona, Elaina Kelland, Christopher Stanley, Pradeep Manuneedhi Cholan, Malathi Dona, Ralph Patrick, Jordan McGrath, Peter Su, Imala Alwis, Ruth Ganss, Jospeh Powell, Richard Harvey, Alexander Pinto, Thomas Griffith, Jacky Loa, Sarah J Aitken David A Robinson, Sanjay Patel, Mary M Kavurma. The generation of stable microvessels in ischemia is mediated by endothelial-derived TRAIL. Science Advances 2024 Oct 4;10(40):eadn8760. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adn8760. Epub 2024 Oct 4.

Aitken S, Kavurma M. (2024) Sex and Gender in Peripheral Artery Disease, chapter in Sex and Gender Aspects of the Cardiovascular System in Health and Disease: A Life Course Approach, American Physiology Society and National Institute of Health. Springer Book Chapter

Kavurma M and Gamble J. (2024) Vascular Endothelium in Health and Disease for “Mechanisms of Vascular Disease: A textbook for Vascular Specialists. 4th edition. Springer Nature Book Chapter

2024 NHMRC Ideas Grant – On the TRAIL of peripheral artery disease

2024 NSW Health and Medical Research Sponsorship Program Centre for PAD Colloquium held in August this year.