James Chong

Professor James Chong is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, based at the Westmead Clinical School. He practices as an interventional cardiologist at Westmead Hospital and heads the Cardiac Regeneration Laboratory at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, serving also as Co-Director of the Centre for Heart Research. Chong earned his MBBS from the University of Sydney, completed his PhD at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute under the supervision of Professor Richard Harvey, and undertook specialist cardiology training, including postdoctoral work at the University of Washington in Seattle with Professor Charles Murry, where he developed expertise in pluripotent stem cell culture and cardiac disease models. He holds fellowships as FRACP and FCSANZ.

Chong's research centers on cardiac regeneration, investigating stem cell therapies to repair damaged hearts post-myocardial infarction, the role of the cardiac extracellular matrix in remodeling, and therapeutics like platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF-AB) and tropoelastin to improve scar mechanics, vascularity, and function. His seminal publications include 'Human embryonic-stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes regenerate non-human primate hearts' (Nature, 2014), 'Adult cardiac-resident MSC-like stem cells with a proepicardial origin' (Cell Stem Cell, 2011), 'Platelet-derived growth factor-AB improves scar mechanics and vascularity after myocardial infarction' (Science Translational Medicine, 2020), and 'Tropoelastin improves post-infarct cardiac function by increasing scar elastin' (Circulation Research, 2023). With over 4,900 citations on Google Scholar, his work has demonstrated functional recovery in large animal models, advancing translation to clinical heart failure treatments. Chong has secured major awards such as the 2024 Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Jian Zhou Medal, Fulbright Scholarship, 2016 Metcalf Prize for Stem Cell Research from the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia, 2019 Alan Skyring Memorial Award from the Australasian Society for Medical Research, and the NSW Office of Health and Medical Research Early-Mid Career Fellowship (2018, AUD 250,000).

Professional Email: james.chong@sydney.edu.au