Australian first award for Melbourne Medical School alum
Justin Ren receives the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Young Investigator Award.
University of Melbourne PhD candidate, Justin Ren, has become the first Australian to receive a prestigious internationally-recognised award in the field of cardiothoracic surgery.
Justin Ren (centre) with Dr Rafael Sábada, Councillor-at-Large for the EACTS, and Patrick Myers, Secretary General of the EACTS.
The Young Investigator Award was established to stimulate research and it recognises the best manuscripts on topics of clinical or experimental research in the fields of Thoracic Surgery, Cardiac Surgery and Congenital Heart Disease. The EACTS awards event brought together nearly 5,000 delegates from around the world.
Mr Ren, who completed a Bachelor of Biomedicine (with Honours) at the University of Melbourne and who is based at the Department of Surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, has presented at a series of international cardiac surgery conferences.
He received the 2023 EACTS Young Investigator Award for his PhD research that is focused on population-wide investigation of total arterial revascularisation in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This innovative technique was pioneered decades ago by world-renowned Australian surgeon, Professor Alistair Royse.
Coronary artery disease affects nearly 600,000 Australians and causes 44,000 deaths annually and as the world’s population ages, it has become a major global health concern. CABG involves surgeons placing a vessel taken from elsewhere in the body to bypass the blocked coronary artery section and restore blood supply.
The technique does not use vein grafting – important as vein grafts often demonstrate accelerated atherosclerosis after 10 years and a graft failure in key coronary regions can lead to hospital readmission, complications and potential death, says Mr Ren.
“Our studies have consistently shown an improved long-term patient survival and Australia, especially the Royal Melbourne Hospital, is leading the game by using total arterial CABG in almost every operation. This is in contrast to the rest of the world where the procedure is used less than 5 percent. My PhD project aims to promote this technique to institutions across the world,” says Mr Ren.
“My aspiration to become a clinician-scientist is fuelled by the profound belief that ground-breaking innovations in medicine stem from the seamless integration of clinical practice and empirical research.
“The dual role of a surgeon and scientist appeals to me as a powerful lever for change, with the capacity to direct the course of patient management through evidence-based guidelines. The dynamic interplay between the operating room and the research laboratory excites me as I can ensure that surgical innovations are not confined to academic journals only, but are brought to the bedside where they can make a real difference.”
Mr Ren was part of a team whose research about CABG was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) in November 2022. It led to the award of a $5 million 2023 Medical Research Future Fund Cardiovascular Grant.
“This is funding the ground-breaking TA Trial, the first of its kind in Australia to be conducted across multiple centres and focusing on coronary bypass procedures,” explains Mr Ren.
“Our goal is to engage 1,000 patients from 17 leading cardiac centres nationwide to explore the outcomes of total arterial revascularisation. As an associate investigator in this trial, I am committed to unravelling the controversy around arterial grafting and improving patient survival and health post-surgery. This endeavour is not just about advancing scientific knowledge but also translating that knowledge into real world benefits for patients across the globe.”
Mr Ren feels humbled to be the first Australian recipient of the EACTS Young Investigator Award and acknowledges the support and guidance of his PhD supervisors, Professor Alistair Royse and Professor Colin Royse.
“The award is an honour not only for me personally, it is also a testament to the innovative spirit and dedication within the Australian medical research community,” he says.
“It reinforces my commitment to my field to push the boundaries of what we can achieve in cardiothoracic surgery. I am hopeful the award will inspire future generations of Australian researchers to pursue excellence and make their mark on the global stage."