With (Cardiovascular) Love from Sydney and Brisbane
In August 2025, I had the great honor and privilege to travel to Australia as one of the Invited International Speakers for the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) Annual Scientific Meeting. While there, I was asked a few times if that was my first trip to Australia, but it was actually my third visit! In fact, Australia was the first country I visited outside of the United States when I was 18 years old. (Back in the day when I used a travel agent to book my flights and arrange my visa – a lot has changed!) I spent a month traveling around the country (including the Outback) with my then-boyfriend-now-husband and absolutely fell in love with the “land down under”: the culture, the food, and the remoteness of it all. Fast forward to 2024 when I was invited to be an International Speaker, it was an easy yes.
Koala at Taronga Zoo. Sydney, NSW.
Before the conference, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit dear colleagues in Sydney, many of whom I had been working with virtually for a number of years (i.e. our ISHLT frailty consensus statement and the EJCN methods corner). I arrived in Sydney in the morning, so I had the whole day ahead of me to keep myself awake and busy as I tried to shake the jet lag and orient my circadian rhythm to Sydney time. I stayed in Newtown, a funky neighborhood a few miles from the central downtown area. After a terrific breakie (again, food is amazing here), I walked about four miles to downtown, stopping at Mamak for lunch and perusing the market at The Rocks. I took in the iconic sights of the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and Circular Quay. As it looked like rain was coming (and I was too tired to walk), I navigated the train system and made my way back to my hotel by way of the train. A fantastic Turkish dinner completed my culinary experience for Day 1 and then I crashed for the night. Day 2 was a recovery day as I got my Southern Hemisphere bearings and worked on the five (!) talks I had ahead of me. But I did get to do a bit more sightseeing with the highlight of my day being the Taronga Zoo. I took the ferry across the harbour (super easy!) and visited this incredible zoo filled with all of the amazing (and scary – hello, taipan!) wildlife that Australia has to offer. Highly recommend!
In front of St. Vincent’s Hospital. Sydney, NSW.
I spent the entire next day with colleagues from the University of Wollongong, Blacktown Hospital, and St. Vincent’s Hospital. My hosts, Professor Caleb Ferguson and Dr. Julee McDonagh, were very generous in introducing me to their amazing team and allowing me to tour their world-class institutions. And I had the distinct pleasure of presenting a seminar talk at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. Then the day was capped off with a delicious dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant. This entire day was invigorating and inspiring, and it reminded me why I love my job: the chance to talk science, set up future collaborations, and get to know my colleagues more
(including hearing about their families and lives outside of work!).
The next day I was off to Brisbane for the multi-day conference (and here I must say a huge thanks to The Conference Company as they were incredible in facilitating my travel and transportation throughout my entire stay in Brisbane). I had three full days of presenting, networking, and learning about cardiovascular science and practice in Australia and New Zealand. I had the honor of presenting to a full house at the Cardiovascular Nursing Council AGM and Cardiovascular Nurse Practitioner Collaborative Symposium on geriatric cardiology and applying the 4 Ms (with a fantastic Q&A). I then presented in three sessions on falls in cardiovascular disease (highlighting our AHA statement), frailty in advanced heart failure (highlighting our ISHLT statement), and sex differences in heart failure risk factors (ICYMI, Barbies are NOT just small Kens). Each evening was capped off with fun social events around the city with, yes, even more incredible food! I wrapped up each day with a full heart and a full stomach.
As my flight out of Brisbane did not leave until the evening, I had an almost full day of sightseeing to cap off this amazing trip. After going for a 4 mile run along the Brisbane River (running is the best way to see a city, IMO), I enjoyed brunch while watching people stroll down the riverfront on their Sunday morning. Then I embarked on some much-needed last minute souvenir shopping for the kids (and for myself at Country Road). After wandering around The Star Brisbane to snap some panoramic photos of the city, I packed up and headed to the airport. As I sat in the terminal waiting to board my flight, I felt incredibly grateful to many people who made this trip happen. From the CSANZ organizers to my colleagues in Sydney to my husband who solo-parented our kids while I was gone, I owe lots of thanks to many people. And now looking forward to my next (fourth) visit to Australia!!
