Her Heart has an outstanding board of directors with diverse skills, experience and drive, to make heart disease in women a thing of the past.

Prof. Linda Worrall-Carter

Founder and CEO

Prof. Linda Worrall-Carter is a recognised world leader in the field of cardiovascular disease in women. Prior to establishing Her Heart she held academic positions and was the Inaugural Director of 3 research centres. During that time she was successful with over 8 million dollars in government funding and authored more than 100 publications. However, Linda felt strongly that research alone would not save women’s lives, reduce the economic and societal burden on the Australian healthcare system, nor drive changes in attitude and behaviour. Recognising that a different approach was needed, Linda established Her Heart in order to drive change through creating awareness of heart disease, educating and empowering women with knowledge so they can learn more about how to initiate change.

Prof. Patricia Davidson

Chair & Director

Professor Patricia Davidson is an internationally renowned leader in nursing, healthcare, and advocacy. She currently serves as a Vice Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of New South Wales. Prior to this, she held the position of Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wollongong from 2021 to 2024, and before that, served as Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore, United States. Her global contributions to health have been widely acknowledged, including receiving the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Distinguished Leader Award in 2021 for her leadership in advancing global health equity.

With a distinguished career spanning decades, Professor Davidson brings invaluable expertise in person-centred care and improving cardiovascular health outcomes for women and priority populations, cardiovascular nursing, and addressing the broader social determinants of health – issues that sit at the centre of Her Heart’s mission to improve outcomes for women affected by cardiovascular disease.

Assoc. Prof. Deanne Riddington

Director and Deputy Chair

Deanne Riddington is the Deputy Chair of Her Heart and has extensive experience as a senior manager and education specialist creating and leading high-performing teams and projects in the healthcare sector. She has previously worked as General Manager of Education and Learning at St Vincent’s Hospital. In this capacity, Deanne was an honorary Clinical Associate Professor with the Australian Catholic University. Deanne is a passionate advocate for health workforce education and for public health, with a past career spanning 30 years as a Registered Nurse in Victoria. Her career has transitioned from clinical practice to education and leadership. Deanne led the development of Victoria’s first Aboriginal Graduate Nurse Program and was awarded a Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust in 2015 for her work in this field. Deanne is currently the President-Elect of the Churchill Fellows Association of Victoria.

Prof. John Beltrame

Director

Professor John Beltrame is a Senior Consultant Cardiologist with clinical, research and teaching roles. He is the Michell Professor in Medicine and the Discipline of Medicine Lead at the University of Adelaide, as well as the Director of Research for the Central Adelaide Local Health Network. He has strong clinical and research interests in coronary heart disease, particularly in relation to coronary artery spasm and coronary microvascular dysfunction, which especially afflicts women. Professor Beltrame also co-founded and co-chairs COVADIS (Coronary Vasomotion Disorders International Study group).

Our advisors bring distinct areas of expertise and provide crucial strategic advice for Her Heart.

Dr Noel-Bairey Merz MD

Appointed 2015

Dr. Bairey-Merz is Professor of Medicine and holds the Women’s Guild Chair in Women’s Health. She is also the director of both the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center and the Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center at Cedars-Sinai’s Heart Institute in Los Angeles. She is a pioneer in the study of women’s heart health and preventive cardiology, and a global authority on women’s heart health.

Dr. Karen Phillips

Advisor

Dr Karen Phillips is a Specialist Cardiologist and one of the leaders of AF Interventional procedures in Australia, including performing Catheter Ablation for AF and implantation of Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Devices for stroke prevention. Dr Phillips underwent specialised training at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic America’s Number One rated Cardiac Hospital in the procedures in 2006-2007 under the mentorship of Dr Andrea Natale a recognised world leader in AF Ablation.

Since 2008 she has established one of the largest single-operator AF ablation services in Australia at Greenslopes Private Hospital with published results and complication rates on par with recognised centres of excellence in Australia and world-wide.

Dr Karen Phillips is the leading user of Intracardiac echocardiography in Australia and has helped pioneer its application to Interventional Cardiology and Electrophysiology procedures in Australia. Furthermore, she is a leading implanter and clinical researcher of left atrial appendage occluder device for stroke prevention in Australasia.

Dr. Monique Watts (MBBS BMedSci)

Dr. Monique Watts is a Melbourne based cardiologist who trained in advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation at the Alfred Hospital. Dr. Watts developed an interest in Women’s Cardiology after collaborating with international colleagues about complex cases involving conditions which disproportionately affect women. She has worked with the Alfred Cardiology Department to establish Victoria’s first Women’s Heart Clinic at the Alfred and is a passionate champion of Women’s Heart Health

Dr. Susan Alberti AC

Appointed 2017

Dr. Alberti is one of Australia’s pre-eminent philanthropists, having donated millions of dollars to medical research and other charitable causes over her successful business career. She is a role model and mentor to many young women and recognised for her long and outstanding contribution to medical research institutions. In 2016, Susan was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia, Melbournian of the Year in 2017 and Victorian of the Year in 2018 in recognition of her eminent service.

Cassandra Kelly AM

Advisor and former Chair & Director

Cassandra Kelly AM is a global thought leader, speaker and coach to corporate and political leaders and Chair of the Treasury Corporation of Victoria. She previously co‑founded The Glass Elevator, an initiative that connects, engages and inspires women in industry and government. Cassandra was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Cassandra has previously held the position as Chair of the Her Heart Board and an Advisor since 2016.

James Hutton

Advisor and former Director and Deputy Chair

James Hutton is a partner with MinterEllison and has practiced for over 25 years in corporate and commercial law. MinterEllison provides Her Heart with pro bono legal advice and assistance under its partnerships program and as part of its purpose to create lasting impacts with its clients, people and communities. James was an Inaugural Board member & Director from 2015-2020 and has also previously held the position as Deputy Chair.

Bill Stavreski

Advisor

Bill is a health economist and has worked in cardiovascular and public health for over 20 years across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Bill’s previous roles have included leading medical research funding programs, delivery of clinical and lifestyle programs, clinical and nutrition guidelines, and health and well-being governance programs. For over a decade, Bill has led campaign and research funding programs toward improving women’s cardiovascular health and eliminating the disparities in treatment and health outcomes. Since late 2021 Bill has worked with Her Heart and together with Dr. Worrall-Carter, Bill designed the world’s first women-only cardiovascular risk tool.

Carolina Fitzpatrick

Advisor

Carolina brings over 30 years of experience across the corporate, charity, and health not-for-profit sectors, with deep expertise in community engagement, strategic partnerships, and women’s health. With a proven track record in delivering high impact campaigns and events her work has supported major health initiatives. improves access to vital medical equipment, and raised significant funds for leading hospitals and charities. Recognised by health and community leaders, Carolina is passionate about creating meaningful change and building connections that drive results.