Vanguard Grant for novel method of measuring oxidative stress in diabetic vascular disease

Dr Tomasz Block explains the utilisation of an immune
cell biomarker to measure oxidative stress in patients
with diabetic vascular disease. See video

Congratulations to Dr Tomasz Block, who has been awarded a Vanguard Grant from the Heart Foundation, for $75,000.

Dr Block is an Advanced Trainee in Endocrinology at Monash Health commencing in 2022 and a current Adjunct Research Associate, in the Diabetes and Kidney Disease (Jandeleit-Dahm) research group in the Department of Diabetes at the Central Clinical School. He will utilise this opportunity to expand on novel clinical research based on exciting preliminary results from a pilot study presented at both national and international congresses.

“I feel extremely honoured to have received this grant from the Heart Foundation. It will enable me to continue this crucial research which aims to determine which patients are at increased risk for cardiovascular and renal events, and will therefore identify those who will benefit the most from early and aggressive treatment,” Dr Block said. 

“Current treatment strategies such as intensified glycaemic and blood pressure control fail to prevent vascular complications in diabetes. Thus, novel and more effective treatments are urgently needed. My research investigates the utility of a new biomarker for oxidative stress, NOX5, within the circulating immune cells in the blood of patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease.”

“This will help with patient and treatment stratification, and potentially form part of routine future care and preventive clinical assessment, thereby ultimately improving the heart health of all Australians.”

Dr Block is excited about collaborating with Interventional Cardiologist Associate Professor James Shaw from the Alfred Hospital on this project under the supervision of Professors Mark Cooper and Karin Jandeleit-Dahm. He anticipates that the outcomes of this research will provide an opportunity to target the widespread and devastating consequences of diabetic vascular disease, which is associated with significant global premature mortality and morbidity.

See more:

• Tomasz talking about the project (video, 2:15 mins)
• Heart Foundation awards media release
• Monash University story
  

The Heart Foundation Research Program has invested $680M in cardiovascular research since 1959.