Distinguished Prof. Annemarie Hennessey

Distinguished Professor Annemarie Hennessy AM

Professor Annemarie Hennessy was honoured in 2015 with an Order of Australia (AM)[1] for significant service to tertiary education, and to medical research, particularly in the area of clinical hypertension and maternal health. In 2020, Annemarie was named Distinguished Professor[2] by Western Sydney University.

Distinguished Professor Annemarie Hennessy, AM, is the Dean of the School of Medicine and the Foundation Chair of Medicine at the Western Sydney University. She is the group leader of the Vascular Immunology Group at the Heart Research Institute (HRI). She was the Director of the Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (HDP) Unit at the Royal Prince Alfred Women and Babies (RPAWB) from 1998 until October 2006 and continues in an honorary capacity within the unit. She is active physician caring for women with preeclampsia, hypertension, and vascular and kidney diseases.

Professor Hennessy is also the Managing Director of PEARLS, a non-profit organisation established under the auspices of the Heart Research Institute, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Campbelltown Hospital to raise funds to support ongoing research into the cause of preeclampsia in pregnancy.

Preeclampsia group

Keywords: preeclampsia, hypertension, pregnancy, MRI, cardiovascular disease

The Group’s research focuses on better understanding the causes of preeclampsia, the condition’s impact on women during pregnancy, and the impact on long-term cardiovascular health. By measuring the functions of the placenta and predicting preeclampsia, the Group seeks to provide new, safe treatment that would allow the pregnancy to progress to full term, thus reducing the burden of premature delivery and also, long term, the risk to women’s heart health.

[1] The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry which recognises Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or meritorious service

[2] Distinguished Professors are named by their institutions and will have earned national and international level distinctions and honors of the highest level.