Dr Marian Worcester - Director

Dr Marian Worcester is a social scientist and has been the Director of the Heart Research Centre since its establishment in 1989. Prior to that, she was Cardiology Research Fellow at the Austin Hospital where she conducted several large clinical trials.

At The University of Melbourne, she studied languages, musicology and history as an undergraduate and criminology for her Master of Arts. She then completed a PhD in cardiac rehabilitation at Monash University in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine. Dr Worcester is particularly interested in the psychological aspects of heart disease, social support and the impact of illness upon the family.

She developed a comprehensive and popular five day program for health professionals in 1992 which provides training in best practice cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention. The success of this program has led to the introduction of many additional training programs and workshops at the Heart Research Centre.

Dr Worcester initiated the formation of the Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association (ACRA) and the Victorian Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation. She was presented with the ACRA Distinguished Service Award in 2000 in recognition of her contribution to cardiac rehabilitation.

Dr Worcester has been frequently invited to present at major international conferences including the World Congress of Cardiology in 2006 and 2008 where she presented the Centre's work in training health professionals from developing countries. She has also published widely in refereed journals.

Dr Worcester is also a Fellow of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand and a member of the Public Health Association of Australasia.

She is an Honorary Senior Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Melbourne.

PhD, MA, BA, FCSANZ

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