Heart disease remains one of the biggest causes of death in Australia, creating not only immeasurable heartache for families but also a $5 billion cost to the economy every year.
Our genetic makeup is what makes each of us so unique, but it can also make some of us more susceptible to developing heart disease. As a genetics researcher, Dr Shah analyses genetic and health data from many thousands of individuals to understand which genes are important in heart disease development, with the aim to use this information to improve prevention and treatment of disease.
Sonia has led changes in the UK guidelines for genetic screening of individuals with Familial Hypercholesterolemia. She also engages with communities such as the Ethnic Communities Council of QLD (ECCQ) and South Asian Asutralians Representing ideas (SAARI) to increase awareness of the importance of diversity in research studies. Sonia also participates in high school visits, mentoring female high school students in the Curious Minds program and delivered a careers talk to 1st year female university students as part of the Australian Institute for Nuclear Science and Engineering Women in STEM School
Dr Shah was awarded her PhD in 2014 at the University College London and is now a National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland
Genomics, genetics, cardiovascular disease