Professor Kazuaki Negishi

Kaz Negishi can’t clearly remember when he first decided to be a doctor.

“When I looked back at my notes from elementary school recently I found a note I had written that said “I want to be a doctor.’”

Kaz describes his role at Nepean as a hybrid of medicine, research and teaching.

The cardiologist has worked at a senior level in Japan, the US and Australia and while he describes his hobby as “research”, he is equally passionate about teaching.

"My job in many ways is to foster a research culture at Nepean, but I so love learning and I have learnt a lot from teachers over the years. I also want to pass what I have learnt on to younger doctors."

Kaz is looking at cardio-vascular disease amongst high-risk populations and the real time treatment of heart attacks, including by paramedics with ultrasound and a laptop literally from the back of the ambulance.

“This is the next generation of tele-medicine,” Kaz says.

Kaz has trained astronauts bound for the International Space Station (ISS) in how to monitor for cardiovascular disease whilst in space.

"It is game changing research to salvage more heart muscle when a patient has a heart attack. With this research Nepean is leading not just this country, but also the world."

He intends to apply the learnings from the ISS in Western Sydney, which he jokes is “the next frontier.”

“We can make a difference and we have an opportunity locally to go out and reach the community, not just wait for patients to come in.”

Professor Kazuaki Negishi
^{MD, PhD, FRACP, FACC, FESC, FAHA, FASE, FCSANZ}

Kaz is Professor of Medicine, and Head of Discipline of Medicine at Sydney Medical School Nepean. He is a Board-Certified cardiologist and is currently practicing at Nepean Hospital.

Research interests
Air pollution and cardiovascular disease; cardiooncology; space medicine.

In the media
The invisible threat to your heart; Funding boost for Nepean Hospital world-first cardiology research.

Contact Kaz