About Us

Background

I trained in Melbourne, followed by four years in the United States at the University of Michigan. Over that period of time, I worked in the fields of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia, before returning to Australia where I am a consultant cardiologist at University Hospital Geelong. I hold appointments with Deakin University in the School of Medicine as well as the Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine at Monash University. I am the Director of the Geelong Cardiology Research Unit, which is currently involved in many phase II – III clinical trials. While still involved in hypertension I have also become involved in research in atherothrombosis, especially with respect to antithrombotic/antiplatelet therapies, particularly in the context of atrial fibrillation. Heart failure is a major interest, and I currently sit as the Director of the Heart Failure Programme at University Hospital Geelong.

Research Focus

Heart Failure, Hypertension, Hyperlipidaemia, and Atherothrombosis, Especially with Respect to Antithrombotic/Antiplatelet Therapies, Particularly in the Context of Atrial Fibrillation.

Awards & Achievements

• Australian National Co-ordinator for global clinical trials in cardiovascular disease in several studies
• Hold positions on International Steering Committees/Endpoint committees overseeing the conduct of various clinical trials.
• Frequently present data from clinical trials outcomes at international Cardiology meetings.
• Syneos Health Site Award 2018

Feature Publications

• Leiter, Lawrence & Bhatt, Deepak & Mcguire, Darren & Fox, Kim & Simon, Tabassome & Mehta, Shamir & Lev, Eli & Kiss, Robert & Dalby, Anthony & Bueno, Héctor & Ridderstråle, Wilhelm & Himmelmann, Anders & Prats, Jayne & Liu, Yuyin & Lee, Jane & Amerena, John & Kosiborod, Mikhail & Steg, Philippe. (2020). 403-P: Impact of Diabetes-Related Factors and Background Antihyperglycemic Therapy on the Efficacy and Safety of Ticagrelor Added to Aspirin: Insights from the THEMIS Trial. Diabetes. 69. 403-P. 10.2337/db20-403-P.• Leiter, Lawrence & Bhatt, Deepak & Mcguire, Darren & Fox, Kim & Simon, Tabassome & Mehta, Shamir & Lev, Eli & Kiss, Robert & Dalby, Anthony & Bueno, Héctor & Ridderstråle, Wilhelm & Himmelmann, Anders & Prats, Jayne & Liu, Yuyin & Lee, Jane & Amerena, John & Kosiborod, Mikhail & Steg, Philippe. (2020). 403-P: Impact of Diabetes-Related Factors and Background Antihyperglycemic Therapy on the Efficacy and Safety of Ticagrelor Added to Aspirin: Insights from the THEMIS Trial. Diabetes. 69. 403-P. 10.2337/db20-403-P.
• Driscoll, Andrea & Dinh, Diem & Prior, David & Kaye, David & Hare, David & Neil, Chris & Lockwood, Siobhan & Brennan, Angela & Lefkovits, Jeff & Carruthers, Harriet & Amerena, John & Cooke, Jennifer & Vaddadi, Gautam & Nadurata, Voltaire. (2020). The Effect of Transitional Care on 30-Day Outcomes in Patients Hospitalised With Acute Heart Failure. Heart, Lung and Circulation. 29. 10.1016/j.hlc.2020.03.004.
• Brieger, David & Amerena, John & Attia, John & Bajorek, Beata & Chan, Kim & Connell, Cia & Freedman, Ben & Ferguson, Caleb & Hall, Tanya & Haqqani, Haris & Hendriks, Jeroen & Hespe, Charlotte & Hung, Joe & Kalman, Jonathan & Sanders, Prashanthan & Worthington, John & Yan, Tristan & Zwar, Nicholas. (2018). National Heart Foundation of Australia and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand: Australian clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation 2018. The Medical Journal of Australia. 209.• Brieger, David & Amerena, John & Attia, John & Bajorek, Beata & Chan, Kim & Connell, Cia & Freedman, Ben & Ferguson, Caleb & Hall, Tanya & Haqqani, Haris & Hendriks, Jeroen & Hespe, Charlotte & Hung, Joe & Kalman, Jonathan & Sanders, Prashanthan & Worthington, John & Yan, Tristan & Zwar, Nicholas. (2018). National Heart Foundation of Australia and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand: Australian clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation 2018. The Medical Journal of Australia. 209.
• Amerena, John & Chen, Shih-Ann & Sriratanasathavorn, Charn & Cho, Jeong-Gwan & Dejia, Huang & Omar, Razali & Fat, Tse & King, Anthony. (2015). An International Observational Prospective Survey Assessing the Control of Atrial Fibrillation in Asia-Pacific: Results of the Record-AFAP Registry. Clinical Medicine Insights. Cardiology. 9. 77-83. 10.4137/CMC.S22022.
• Hammett, Christopher & Amerena, John & Brieger, David & Sindone, Andrew & Thompson, Peter & Worthley, Matthew & Aylward, Philip. (2017). Preventing recurrent events in survivors of acute coronary syndromes in Australia: Consensus recommendations using the Delphi process. Current Medical Research and Opinion. 34. 1-19. 10.1080/03007995.2017.1418175.

How you can help

Participate in a Clinical Trial

To find out about Clinical Trials currently underway at Barwon Health, click here. To learn more about the Adrian Costa Clinical Trials Centre, click here.

Donate

Research requires ongoing investment and there are several ways to support our work. You can make a donation today and contribute to an item on our research group’s wish list, consider a bequest in your will, or establish a lasting legacy fund in your name. No matter what size, your philanthropic support will deliver an immediate impact to this important work. To donate now or for more information, please contact the Barwon Health Foundation.