SPHERE Emerging Researcher Award announced
Associate Professor Susann Beier, UNSW has been named the winner of SPHERE’s Emerging Researcher Award, recognising her work in cardiovascular modelling, artificial intelligence and research translation.
The award, presented as part of SPHERE’s 10 Years of Impact Awards, recognises researchers who are building strong collaborative networks, producing high-quality research and showing clear potential to translate evidence into better clinical practice.
A/Prof Beier’s work focuses on using cardiovascular imaging, modelling and AI to improve risk assessment and support more personalised care. In particular, her research is focused on patients who may be poorly served by conventional assessment, including women and other under-represented groups.
Her program has grown from early SPHERE-supported work through the Cardiac and Vascular Health Clinical Academic Group into an internationally recognised research program with strong clinical, academic and industry partnerships. SPHERE's support enabled access to clinical data, technical development and collaboration across organisations that provided the foundation for later funding and translation.
Since then, her work has attracted $2.2 million in competitive funding and led to 52 journal papers and more than 1,500 citations. It has also produced resources and tools now being used beyond her research group, including the ASOCA coronary imaging dataset, which has been accessed more than 17,000 times across 36 countries.
Her research is also moving towards clinical and commercial application. Current work includes faster patient-specific modelling and patented cardiovascular decision-support technology, while her findings have also helped inform stent assessment and development: her research into the Biomatrix stent contributed to an upgrade to the device now used in more than 200,000 patients each year.
For A/Prof Beier, the award also recognises the team behind the research.
“It is a real honour to receive the Emerging Researcher Award. Much of my work has been built through collaboration across engineering, clinical research and health services, so this recognition reflects not only my own research journey, but also the people and partnerships that have helped move the work towards clinical impact.”
Alongside her research, A/Prof Beier has continued to build connections across cardiovascular research, health services and industry. She is a Fellow of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand and co-leads SPHERE’s Cardiac and Vascular Health Clinical Academic Group.