Gemma Figtree

Gemma Alexandra Figtree {{Post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} is an Interventional Cardiologist at Royal North Shore Hospital, Professor in Medicine at the University of Sydney, chair of the Federal Government's 10-year Mission for Cardiovascular Health,{{Cite web |title=Professor Gemma Figtree to lead Mission for Cardiovascular Health |url=https://thelimbic.com/cardiology/professor-gemma-figtree-to-lead-mission-for-cardiovascular-health/ |access-date=2022-04-07}} and co-leader of the Cardiovascular Theme for Sydney Health Partners.{{Cite web |title=Professor Gemma Figtree |url=https://www.heartresearch.com.au/our-researchers/figtree/ |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=Heart Research Australia |language=en-US}}

Career

Figtree has dedicated her career to unravelling key mechanisms of heart attack susceptibility, combining clinical work as an interventional cardiologist with laboratory research, large cohort studies, and clinical trials.

As a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, Figtree's cardiovascular research led to fundamental discoveries about estrogen and NO/redox regulation. Her research focuses on improving prediction, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks, inspired by her clinical work as an interventional cardiologist.

Research

Discoveries in her laboratory have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, with over 190 publications cited ~9250 times. Driven by patient care as an interventional cardiologist, Figtree's research reflects bench-to-bedside knowledge translation of molecular discoveries to the clinic, and her work with health digital twin technology{{Cite journal |last1=Coorey |first1=Genevieve |last2=Figtree |first2=Gemma A. |last3=Fletcher |first3=David F. |last4=Redfern |first4=Julie |date=December 2021 |title=The health digital twin: advancing precision cardiovascular medicine |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-021-00630-4 |journal=Nature Reviews Cardiology |language=en |volume=18 |issue=12 |pages=803–804 |doi=10.1038/s41569-021-00630-4 |pmid=34642446 |s2cid=238640582 |issn=1759-5010}} contributes to advances in precision medicine.

As a cardiologist spokesperson, Figtree has been recognized for her work with baby heart conditions,{{Cite web |last=Clun |first=Rachel |date=2019-08-02 |title='A massive difference': funding for studies in baby heart conditions |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/a-massive-difference-funding-for-studies-in-baby-heart-conditions-20190801-p52cym.html |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} cardiovascular disease, and heart attacks in people who are not identified as "at risk",{{Citation |title=Research shows heart attacks more likely to be deadly among people with no risk factors |date=2021-03-10 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-10/syd-research-shows-heart-attacks-in-people-with-no-risk-factors/13234616 |publisher=ABC News |language=en-AU |access-date=2022-04-07}}{{Cite web |title=Winners announced as heart disease attracts NSW's brightest minds - News |url=https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/20190803_00.aspx |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=www.health.nsw.gov.au}} and leads the Federal Mission for Cardiovascular Health.

= Selected publications =

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!TItle

!Journal

2021

|The health digital twin: advancing precision cardiovascular medicine

|Nature Reviews Cardiology

2021

|Mortality in STEMI patients without standard modifiable risk factors: a sex-disaggregated analysis of SWEDEHEART registry data{{Cite journal |last1=Figtree |first1=Gemma A |last2=Vernon |first2=Stephen T |last3=Hadziosmanovic |first3=Nermin |last4=Sundström |first4=Johan |last5=Alfredsson |first5=Joakim |last6=Arnott |first6=Clare |last7=Delatour |first7=Vincent |last8=Leósdóttir |first8=Margrét |last9=Hagström |first9=Emil |date=March 2021 |title=Mortality in STEMI patients without standard modifiable risk factors: a sex-disaggregated analysis of SWEDEHEART registry data |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0140673621002725 |journal=The Lancet |language=en |volume=397 |issue=10279 |pages=1085–1094 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00272-5|pmid=33711294 |s2cid=232163290 }}

|The Lancet

2020

|Using machine learning to ace cardiovascular risk tests{{Cite journal |last1=Bell |first1=James R |last2=Figtree |first2=Gemma A |last3=Drummond |first3=Grant R |date=2020-12-01 |title=Using machine learning to ace cardiovascular risk tests |journal=Cardiovascular Research |volume=116 |issue=14 |pages=2173–2174 |doi=10.1093/cvr/cvaa305 |pmid=33125063 |issn=0008-6363|doi-access=free }}

|Cardiovascular Research

2021

|FXYD1 Is Protective Against Vascular Dysfunction{{Cite journal |last1=Bubb |first1=Kristen J. |last2=Tang |first2=Owen |last3=Gentile |first3=Carmine |last4=Moosavi |first4=Seyed M. |last5=Hansen |first5=Thomas |last6=Liu |first6=Chia-Chi |last7=Di Bartolo |first7=Belinda A. |last8=Figtree |first8=Gemma A. |date=2021-06-01 |title=FXYD1 Is Protective Against Vascular Dysfunction |journal=Hypertension |volume=77 |issue=6 |pages=2104–2116 |doi=10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16884|pmid=33934624 |doi-access=free }}

|Hypertension

2020

|Single‐Cell Immune Profiling in Coronary Artery Disease: The Role of State‐of‐the‐Art Immunophenotyping With Mass Cytometry in the Diagnosis of Atherosclerosis{{Cite journal |last1=Kott |first1=Katharine A. |last2=Vernon |first2=Stephen T. |last3=Hansen |first3=Thomas |last4=de Dreu |first4=Macha |last5=Das |first5=Souvik K. |last6=Powell |first6=Joseph |last7=Fazekas de St Groth |first7=Barbara |last8=Di Bartolo |first8=Belinda A. |last9=McGuire |first9=Helen M. |last10=Figtree |first10=Gemma A. |date=2020-12-15 |title=Single‐Cell Immune Profiling in Coronary Artery Disease: The Role of State‐of‐the‐Art Immunophenotyping With Mass Cytometry in the Diagnosis of Atherosclerosis |journal=Journal of the American Heart Association |volume=9 |issue=24 |pages=e017759 |doi=10.1161/JAHA.120.017759 |pmc=7955359 |pmid=33251927}}

|Circulation Research

2021

|Association of Global Coagulation Profiles With Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Atherosclerosis: A Sex Disaggregated Analysis From the BioHEART‐CT Study{{Cite journal |last1=Kott |first1=Katharine A. |last2=Morel‐Kopp |first2=Marie‐Christine |last3=Vernon |first3=Stephen T. |last4=Takagi |first4=Yuki |last5=Di Bartolo |first5=Belinda A. |last6=Peter |first6=Karlheinz |last7=Yang |first7=Jean Y. |last8=Grieve |first8=Stuart M. |last9=Ward |first9=Christopher |last10=Figtree |first10=Gemma A. |date=2021-10-19 |title=Association of Global Coagulation Profiles With Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Atherosclerosis: A Sex Disaggregated Analysis From the BioHEART‐CT Study |journal=Journal of the American Heart Association |volume=10 |issue=20 |pages=e020604 |doi=10.1161/JAHA.120.020604 |pmc=8751896 |pmid=34622670}}

|Circulation Research

2021

|A Call to Action for New Global Approaches to Cardiovascular Disease Drug Solutions{{Cite journal |last1=Figtree |first1=Gemma A. |last2=Broadfoot |first2=Keith |last3=Casadei |first3=Barbara |last4=Califf |first4=Robert |last5=Crea |first5=Filippo |last6=Drummond |first6=Grant R. |last7=Freedman |first7=Jane E. |last8=Guzik |first8=Tomasz J. |last9=Harrison |first9=David |last10=Hausenloy |first10=Derek J. |last11=Hill |first11=Joseph A. |date=2021-07-13 |title=A Call to Action for New Global Approaches to Cardiovascular Disease Drug Solutions |journal=Circulation |volume=144 |issue=2 |pages=159–169 |doi=10.1161/CIR.0000000000000981|pmid=33876947 |doi-access=free }}

|Circulation Research

2021

|Bench-to-Bedside in Vascular Medicine: Optimizing the Translational Pipeline for Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease{{Cite journal |last1=Alsaigh |first1=Tom |last2=Di Bartolo |first2=Belinda A. |last3=Mulangala |first3=Jocelyne |last4=Figtree |first4=Gemma A. |last5=Leeper |first5=Nicholas J. |date=2021-06-11 |title=Bench-to-Bedside in Vascular Medicine: Optimizing the Translational Pipeline for Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease |journal=Circulation Research |volume=128 |issue=12 |pages=1927–1943 |doi=10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.121.318265 |pmc=8208504 |pmid=34110900}}

|Circulation Research

2021

|Coronary artery disease patients without standard modifiable risk factors (SMuRFs)- a forgotten group calling out for new discoveries{{Cite journal |last1=Figtree |first1=Gemma A |last2=Vernon |first2=Stephen T |date=2021-06-01 |title=Coronary artery disease patients without standard modifiable risk factors (SMuRFs)- a forgotten group calling out for new discoveries |journal=Cardiovascular Research |volume=117 |issue=6 |pages=e76–e78 |doi=10.1093/cvr/cvab145 |pmid=34037711 |issn=0008-6363|doi-access=free }}

|European Heart Journal

2021

|A call to action for new global approaches to cardiovascular disease drug solutions{{Cite journal |last1=Figtree |first1=Gemma A |last2=Broadfoot |first2=Keith |last3=Casadei |first3=Barbara |last4=Califf |first4=Robert |last5=Crea |first5=Filippo |last6=Drummond |first6=Grant R |last7=Freedman |first7=Jane E |last8=Guzik |first8=Tomasz J |last9=Harrison |first9=David |last10=Hausenloy |first10=Derek J |last11=Hill |first11=Joseph A |date=2021-04-14 |title=A call to action for new global approaches to cardiovascular disease drug solutions |journal=European Heart Journal |volume=42 |issue=15 |pages=1464–1475 |doi=10.1093/eurheartj/ehab068 |pmid=33847746 |issn=0195-668X|doi-access=free }}

|European Heart Journal

Awards

Figtree was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 Australia Day Honours.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-25 |title=Australia Day 2023 Honours: Full list |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-day-2023-honours-full-list-20230124-p5cf79.html |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}

She was awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Excellence Award for Top Ranked Practitioner Fellow (Australia), commencing in 2018. In 2019 and 2020 she received the prestigious NSW Ministerial Award for Cardiovascular Research Excellence.{{Cite web |title=Sydney academics recognised for cardiovascular research excellence |url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2019/08/22/Sydney-academics-recognised-for-cardiovascular-research-excellence.html |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=The University of Sydney |language=en-AU}}

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Award

!Organisation

2020

|NSW Ministerial Award for Cardiovascular Research Excellence

|NSW Health + Heart Foundation

2019

|NSW Ministerial Award for Cardiovascular Research Excellence

|NSW Health + Heart Foundation

2018

|Excellence Award for Top Ranked Practitioner Fellow (Australia)