Completing a PhD is a huge achievement for anyone, but for two cardiologists there was even more to celebrate.
This year, Dr Elizabeth Paratz (BMedSci 2008, MBBS 2010, PhD 2023) and Dr David Chieng (GradCertClinUltrasound 2016, PhD 2023) were awarded the Chancellor’s Prize for Excellence in the PhD Thesis.
This award celebrates research for its international reach and impact, publications and recognition by professional organisations, awards and conference presentations.
A graduate from Melbourne Medical School, who specialised in cardiology at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Dr Paratz’s latest research focused on sudden cardiac death in young and middle-aged people.
Between 2019 and 2023, she created a state-wide registry that links ambulance and forensic resources to examine every case of young cardiac arrest in Victoria, both on a case-based and a larger systems level.
This registry will be used to improve patient care and reduce deaths from sudden cardiac arrest, by providing largescale epidemiological information and highlighting at-risk subgroups, such as those experiencing cardiac arrest in pregnancy, people living with obesity, mental ill health and other medical conditions.
Having studied over many years at Melbourne University, I know there are so many fabulous projects and areas of research, so it's an enormous honour to have my PhD thesis recognised with a Chancellor's Prize, knowing the incredible quality of the overall field Dr Paratz said.
Dr David Chieng, a cardiologist who specialises in the management of cardiac arrhythmias, was also awarded the Chancellor’s Prize this year. His research investigated catheter ablation for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
The findings challenged the long-held view that doing more ablation was better in patients with persistent AF, a process that creates tiny scars in the heart to block faulty signals and restore a regular heartbeat. The research supports a more conservative ablation approach and highlights the need for alternative strategies.
For anyone doing a PhD or considering one, Dr Chieng reflected that it was crucial to have regular meetings with your supervisors, evaluate your work as it progresses, and to take breaks.
My advice would be to persevere and to not give up. A PhD is hard work, and in the early stages the end goal may appear unclear. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel! Dr Chieng said.
Interested in graduate research? Find out more: mdhs.unimelb.edu.au/research/research-training