Associate Professor Nadine Kasparian

Research makes a real difference to the heart health of all Australians – including young children and their families.

Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow Nadine Kasparian is Head of Psychology at the Heart Centre for Children. She is currently running a psychology research program dedicated to childhood heart disease.

Nadine is passionate about better understanding the connections between our physical and mental health.
“I’ve always followed my heart,” says Nadine. “For me, there’s no better field than the science of the mind, where I can combine my love of science and people in ways that are endlessly fascinating and never feel like ‘work’.”

Nadine’s world-first research will help parents of babies with congenital heart disease to access more information and support than is currently available. She explains:

“Childhood illness can have profound consequences – physically, emotionally, socially and neuro-developmentally. My work is dedicated to discovering new and more effective ways of buffering children with heart disease and families from these effects.”

Heart Foundation supporters are “our lifeblood”.

“We’re working closely with patients and families to develop a deeper understanding of the connections between heart and mind, and using this knowledge to build better models of care

We’re also exploring ways we can more quickly identify children or families who may be struggling, and offer the right care and support at the right time.

"The Heart Foundation’s Future Leader Fellowship provides an incredible opportunity for me to pursue new ways of tackling the challenges that affect children with heart disease. It also links me into an amazing community of heart disease researchers and enables me to create new opportunities for young and emerging research leaders – and that’s vital for our field."

​They make our work possible, and for that we owe a debt of gratitude.