UTAS has announced the appointment of Professor Thomas Marwick as the new Director of the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania.

UTAS has announced the appointment of Professor Thomas Marwick as the new Director of the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania.

Prof Marwick is currently Section Head, Cardiovascular Imaging, at the Center for Cardiovascular Imaging at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

His particular expertise is cardiac imaging in heart failure and coronary disease and the detection of early stages of cardiac dysfunction.

Last year Prof Marwick was invited to give the Kempson Maddox Lecture, the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand's premier annual oration.

Other career highlights to date included winning his first program grant from the National Health and Medical Research Foundation in 2009, the culmination of a decade's work in his field, and winning the Foundation's Eccles Award (named after the Australian Nobel Prize-winner Sir John Eccles) in 1999.

The UTAS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Rathjen, welcomed Prof Marwick.

"With stage two of the Medical Sciences Precinct well underway, this is an auspicious time for our new Menzies Director to join the university.

"Prof Marwick will be bringing with him a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise in medical teaching and research.

"He will be well-placed to oversee the world-class research Menzies conducts on a range of diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, MS, osteoporosis and dementia," Prof Rathjen said.

"His impressive and extensive CV speaks for itself. As well as his academic credentials, he is also the recipient of numerous awards honouring his teaching skills."

Prof Rathjen thanked Professor Alison Venn for stepping into the position of Acting Director.

"Prof Venn has done an exemplary job of overseeing the Institute and the university thanks her for the expertise and dedication she brought to the role."

Dr Dan Norton, Chairman of the Menzies Board, said the Board was delighted to welcome Prof Marwick as the new Director. 

"Prof Marwick is a cardiologist with a strong interest in research directed at practical health outcomes. 

"He has an outstanding record in both research and research leadership in Australia and internationally. His role as a clinician will also strengthen our ties with hospitals in Tasmania and our work in translational medicine.

"We now look forward greatly to Prof Marwick leading Menzies in our next phase of development."

Prof Marwick said he was excited at the opportunity to head up Menzies.

"In my opinion, Menzies is a medical research jewel in Australia, with the ability to perform high quality basic, clinical and population health research in an environment where the community and government are engaged and supportive.

"I am very keen to maintain the status of the Institute as a go-to resource for addressing health problems that are pertinent to Tasmania," he said.

"The research skills at Menzies reflect the burden of disease in Tasmania - cardiovascular, oncology, neurology and metabolic, and I'm sure that we can continue to make a meaningful contribution to improving the health of the community."

UK-born but raised and educated here, Prof Marwick has a long and distinguished career in cardiovascular health and research.

After graduating with honours from the University of Melbourne in 1981 with a degree in Medicine, he completed his PhD in Cardiovascular Imaging at the University of Louvain in Belgium in 1994.

Prof Marwick also completed a Masters of Public Health in 2011 at the Harvard School of Public Health.

He will start work later this year.

Information Released by:

The Media Office, University of Tasmania

Phone: 6226 2124  Mobile: 0447 537 375

Email: Media.Office@utas.edu.au

Contact:

Phone:

Email: