Primary Aldosteronism
Centre of Excellence

The Primary Aldosteronism Centre of Excellence (PACE) is a national collaboration with the aim of advancing primary aldosteronism research in Australia.

PACE is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council Centres of Research Excellence program.

This will be achieved by creating a sustainable research infrastructure fostering international collaborations, developing a multidisciplinary workforce in primary aldosteronism (PA), and solidifying Australia’s global leadership in addressing this public health challenge.

Outcomes from PACE will inform policy and clinical practice, enhancing patient care through evidence-based guidelines, healthcare education and consumer advocacy.

Vision

Our vision is to revolutionise the diagnosis and management of PA by conducting internationally pioneering research to improve health outcomes and reduce the burden of hypertension and chronic disease.

Professor Peter J. Fuller AM MBBS (Hons) BMedSc PhD FRACP

Head, Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute, and Head, Endocrinology Unit, Monash Health, Victoria

Professor Fuller is an endocrinologist and nuclear receptor biologist in the fields of cardiovascular disease and cancer, who has made substantive contributions to our understanding of the mineralocorticoid receptor and the molecular aetiology, pathogenesis and treatment of endocrine cancers. As a co-director of PACE, he leads a collective effort to disseminate knowledge and implement change in the screening, diagnosis and management of PA.

Associate Professor Jun Yang MBBS (Hons) PhD FRACP

Head, Endocrine Hypertension Group, Hudson Institute and Head, Endocrine Hypertension Service, Monash Health, Victoria

Associate Professor Yang is an endocrinologist and clinician-scientist who is a research leader in the field of PA. Together with Prof Fuller, A/Prof Yang established the first Endocrine Hypertension Service in Victoria, integrating medical research with clinical practice. As a co-director of PACE, she leads a collective effort to disseminate knowledge and implement change in the screening, diagnosis and management of PA.

Professor Michael Stowasser MBBS (Hons) PhD FRACP FRCP Edin

Director, Endocrine Hypertension Research Centre, University of Queensland Frazer Institute, Queensland

Professor Stowasser has over 30 years of clinical research experience in the pathogenesis and management of PA.He is co-chairing the Endocrine Society PA Guideline Writing Group that is revising the international clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of PA. He has significant engagement with stakeholders necessary for translating the knowledge that is being generated across PACE into practice.

Professor Morag J. Young BSc (Hons) PhD

Head, Cardiovascular Endocrinology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Victoria

Professor Young is a leading authority on the role of hormones in cardiovascular disease, with a particular focus on mineralocorticoid receptor pathophysiology. She is instrumental in developing novel diagnostic tools and preclinical mouse models for PA.

Professor Grant Russell MBBS FRACGP MFM PhD

Professor, Primary Care Research, Department of General Practice, and Director, Southern Academic Primary Care Research Unit, Monash University, Victoria

Professor Russell is an academic general practitioner who has led international teams generating policy advice on research capacity, the organisation of primary care, and the health of vulnerable groups. As part of PACE, he is building multifaceted behaviour change interventions and implementation programs to increase PA screening in general practice.

Dr StellaMay Gwini BSc (Hons) MSc PhD

Biostatistics Consultant, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Victoria

Dr Gwini is a biostatistician and research methodology consultant with many years of experience in different areas of medicine, health services and public health. She is providing guidance on robust statistical methods across the various programs in PACE.

Professor Christopher Reid BA Dip Ed MSc Cert Health Econ PhD FCSANZ FESC

Research Professor, School of Population Health, Curtin University and the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria

Professor Reid is a cardiovascular epidemiologist and clinical trialist. As an education leader, he is guiding the design and implementation of targeted education interventions for PA.

Professor Markus Schlaich MD FAHA FESC ISHF 

Dobney Chair in Clinical Research, Dobney Hypertension Centre, Medical School, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, The University of Western Australia, Western Australia

Professor Schlaich is a renal physician and a hypertension specialist with a strong background in clinical research. Through his role as President of Hypertension Australia and co-lead of the National Hypertension Taskforce, he is facilitating translation of the new knowledge derived in PACE by working closely with the government on policy and implementation.

Professor Trevor A. Mori BSc PhD MRACI CChem

Senior Principal Research Fellow, UWA Medical School, Internal Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Western Australia

Professor Mori leads the Cardiovascular Programme of the Raine Study, which is one of the largest and longest-running studies of human health from pregnancy into adulthood to be conducted anywhere in the world. As part of PACE, Professor Mori is leading the interrogation of the Raine Study to better understand the origins and natural history of PA.

Professor Gurmeet Singh MBBS MD PhD FRACP

Director, Life Course Studies, Menzies School of Health Research, Northern Territory

Professor Singh oversees the Aboriginal Birth Cohort (ABC), the longest and largest Indigenous Cohort in Australasia. She is leading and establishing a partnership with First Nations practitioners and communities to better understand the prevalence and clinical features of PA, and the response to targeted treatment of PA in First Nations peoples. 

Our PACE programs bring healthcare professionals, researchers, professional colleges and policy makers together to improve health outcomes and reduce the burden of hypertension and chronic disease for people with primary aldosteronism (PA).

Research aims

• Optimise the timely and accurate diagnosis of PA through high quality, collaborative research and transformation of clinical practice guidelines and diagnostic methods
• Identify genetic and environmental factors and novel biomarkers, that will underpin personalised diagnostic tests and therapeutics in the prevention and management of PA
• Create translational research environments and develop clinical trial platforms to build the capacity for world-leading research in PA by Australian clinicians and scientists.

Endocrine Hypertension Clinics

If you have a patient who requires investigation for PA, please refer to your local endocrine clinic.

For further information, contact the following Endocrine Hypertension Clinics

• Monash Health, Victoria
• Dobney Hypertension Centre, Western Australia
• Royal Perth Hospital Cardiometabolic service, Western Australia
• WA Specialist Centre, Western Australia
• Hypertension Clinic, Queensland

Practical information about PA

• FAQS RELATING TO SCREENING FOR PA

• SCREENING FOR PA – A GUIDE TO SWITCHING MEDICATIONS

Endocrine Hypertension Clinics

If you have been diagnosed or are caring for someone with PA and require support, please contact to your local endocrine clinic.

For further information contact the following Endocrine Hypertension Clinics

• Endocrine Hypertension Research Centre, Queensland
• Monash Health, Victoria
• Dobney Hypertension Centre, Western Australia
• Royal Perth Hospital Cardiometabolic service, Western Australia
• Hypertension Clinic, Queensland

Frequently asked questions

• WHAT IS PRIMARY ALDOSTERONISM (PA) ?

• HOW IS PRIMARY ALDOSTERONISM DIAGNOSED?

• HOW IS PRIMARY ALDOSTERONISM TREATED?