Garry Jennings is the Director and Chief Executive Officer of Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute. He is immediate past President of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institute, former President of the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia and Head of a WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Cardiovascular Health.
A cardiologist, he has a distinguished career in clinical practice and was previously Director of Cardiology at The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne and Chair of the Division of Medicine.
His research interests cover the causes, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. He is perhaps best known for providing the first plausible evidence that regular exercise lowers blood pressure and sympathetic nervous activity, while improving glucose metabolism. His other research interests have included the sympathetic pathophysiology of hypertension and heart failure, artery and cardiac structure and function as targets for therapy. He has published several books on heart disease for the general public and over 370 research publications.
He is foundation Chair of Nucleus Network Ltd, V Kardia Pty Ltd, Elacor Pty Ltd and a Board member of the National Heart Foundation of Australia, Research Australia, Osprey Medical Inc, as well as Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.
Research Interests
Mechanisms of the benefits of exercise, reduction of risk due to hypertension and other risk factors, cardiac and vascular hypertrophy, cardiovascular neurosciences and heart failure, particularly from a clinical perspective. Closing the gap on indigenous health and other disadvantaged groups.