Emeritus Professor Vicky A. Cameron

Current roles

• Past Leader, The Omics Laboratory, Christchurch Heart Institute
• Lead Investigator on the Genetic Profiles of Healthy Volunteers for the Study of Heart Disease and the Christchurch Family Heart Study
• Co-Leader of the Māori Community Heart Study

Research interests

• Cardiovascular genomics and epigenetics
• Gene expression and the underlying pathology in models of heart disease

Professor Cameron led the Omics Laboratory of the Christchurch Heart Institute until February 2022, researching the influence of genomics and epigenetics in heart disease development and progression, and the association of genetic variation with clinical outcomes in New Zealand heart disease patients.

Her research interests also include non-coding RNAs, such as the long, non-coding RNA (ANRIL) at chromosome 9p21, and their contribution to coronary heart disease susceptibility, as well as circulating microRNAs as novel biomarkers for prognosis after hospital admission for an acute coronary syndrome.

Professor Cameron completed her PhD (The Role of Brain Hormones in the Regulation of Hypothalamic-Pituitary Secretion During Acute Haemorrhagic Stress) while employed as a Scientific Officer in the Department of Medicine at the Christchurch School of Medicine (1982-1990).

Professor Cameron conducted Postdoctoral Research at the Peptide Biology Laboratories, The Salk Institute, San Diego (1990–1992) supported by a Fogarty Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, from the NIH.

In 1992, she returned to New Zealand under a Repatriation Fellowship from the Health Research Council to the position of Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

Awards

• Social Accountability Award, University of Otago, Christchurch, 2022
• Senior Mentor Award, Genetics Otago, University of Otago 2021
• Appointed to Council, Heath Research Council (Chair, Biomedical Research Committee), 2019-2022
• International Ambassador on the American Heart Association Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine Leadership Committee, 2019-2022
• Athol Mann Memorial Lecture Award, Canterbury Medical Research Foundation, 2019
• Gold Medal for Research, University of Otago, Christchurch, 2019
• Leadership Award, University of Otago, Christchurch, 2018
• Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) For Services to Health, 2017
• Graduation Address, University of Otago, MBChB/Physiotherapy Graduation, 9 December 2017
• New Zealand Society of Endocrinology Nancy Sirett Memorial Lecture Award, 2016
• Appointed to Marsden Fund Council (Biomedical Sciences Panel Convener), 2014-2017
• Council of the University of Otago, Representative of Academic Staff 2012
• Elected International Fellow, American Heart Association, Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2011
• Outstanding Teaching Award, UOC 2008
• OUSA Supervisor Award 2005
• Repatriation Fellowship, Health Research Council of New Zealand 1992-94
• Fogarty Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, US National Institutes of Health 1990-91
• Scientific Interchange Fellowship, Canterbury Medical Research Foundation 1988

Hauora Manawa | Heart Health: the Community Heart Study

Professor Cameron has also become involved in research into the causes for the disparity in cardiovascular mortality between Māori and non-Māori.

This cohort study has been documenting current levels of heart disease, diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors in two regionally distinct, rural and urban Māori communities, compared to a non-Māori comparator group.

The cohort have now been followed for 5 years to understand the changes in heart disease risk factors over this time.