The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand – New Zealand Branch, and Merck Sharp and Dohme are pleased to announce the successful applicant for the 2004 Cardiac Society/MSD research fellowship is Dr Cara Wasywich, currently research fellow in Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Auckland.

This prestigious fellowship was made possible by a generous donation from the New Zealand Branch of Merck Sharp and Dohme. The fellowship is administered by the New Zealand Regional Executive Committee of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand and designed primarily to support cardiovascular research projects within New Zealand. Priority is given to registrars in Cardiac Medicine or Surgery to complete an MD thesis in New Zealand or for specific research projects. Successful Research Fellows are Associate Members of the Cardiac Society and their research is supervised by a full member of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Dr Wasywich intends that her research will focus specifically on the assessment and management of the more severe forms of heart failure. She is specifically interested in the correlations between invasive haemodynamics, neuro-hormones and echocardiography in the assessment and management of congestive heart failure. This work will form the basis of an MD thesis. It is hoped and expected that her work will advance knowledge in the area of heart failure management, an area of considerable interest to her and her supervisors at both Auckland and Green Lane Hospitals.

Specific enquiries about the Cardiac Society/MSD Research Fellowship in New Zealand can be directed to either the current honorary Secretary/Treasurer, New Zealand Branch, Dr Phil Matsis C/- Cardiology Department, Wellington Hospital, Wellington; or Dr Hugh McAlister, New Zealand Councillor, C/- Cardiology Department, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand.