Detecting the Silent Risk: Vivian Tran’s Mission to Reduce Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

A researcher driven to tackle a silent cardiovascular threat

Dr Vivian Tran, a Heart Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at La Trobe University, is on a mission to reduce the burden of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) — a condition that often remains undetected until it becomes life-threatening.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms occur when the wall of the aorta weakens and expands, creating a risk of rupture. Despite their severity, the condition is typically asymptomatic. Many people do not realise they have an aneurysm until it is discovered incidentally or, in the worst cases, after rupture.

“The issue with abdominal aortic aneurysms is that they’re asymptomatic,” Vivian explains. “No one really knows that they have it until essentially it’s too late.”

The stakes are high. When an aneurysm bursts, the mortality rate can reach 80–90%. This silent nature of the disease, combined with the devastating consequences of late detection, has driven Vivian’s dedication to understanding the underlying mechanisms behind the condition and finding ways to reduce its impact.

Her research focuses on cardiovascular health and the metabolic factors that contribute to aneurysm formation — work that has the potential to influence both prevention strategies and treatment pathways.

Challenging misconceptions around cardiovascular disease

While cardiovascular disease is often associated with lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise, Vivian quickly realised that the story is far more complex.

A common misconception is that people who develop conditions like abdominal aortic aneurysms must have had poor diets or low levels of physical activity. While these factors can contribute to cardiovascular health, they are not the whole picture.

For Vivian, this realisation became a catalyst for deeper investigation. It sparked her journey into a PhD focused on developing the first clinically relevant rodent model of metabolic syndrome. She is now using this model to understand the metabolic comorbidities and the influence of sex on aneurysm development.

At the same time, she became increasingly aware of the broader communication gap around cardiovascular health.

“Anyone over the age of 45 is eligible for a heart health check that’s Medicare-rebated,” she notes. “Yet very few people actually go and get one.”

Vivian believes part of the problem lies in awareness. People may not know these preventative services exist, and sometimes even healthcare professionals may not emphasise them strongly enough.

She also sees the importance of shifting how cardiovascular disease is discussed. Many people blame themselves for their condition, assuming lifestyle choices are entirely responsible.

“But so much of cardiovascular disease is rooted in genetics and your sex,” Vivian explains. “It’s important to raise awareness and dispel the myth that it’s always about poor diet or lack of exercise.”

Learning to think about impact from the beginning

Vivian’s journey toward research impact began early in her PhD when she participated in Cruxes Innovation’s Ascend Program, followed later by the Base Program.

At the time, her research focused on developing improved animal models of metabolic syndrome that could better replicate the development of complex conditions seen in human patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.

As part of the Ascend Program, Vivian was encouraged to speak directly with potential end users and industry stakeholders to understand how her research might be applied outside academia.

The feedback she received was eye-opening.

Vivian had developed a model that was highly accurate in replicating human disease conditions, but it required around 20 weeks to run. Industry researchers told her that, despite its accuracy, they would likely continue using faster models that delivered results in just four weeks.

“It was a really interesting moment,” Vivian recalls. “Industry was thinking about how quickly they could get results, while scientists were more focused on accurately describing what was happening.”

The experience reshaped her perspective.

“Ascend lit this fire in me about research impact that I didn’t know existed,” she says.

Later, during the Base Program, Vivian found practical tools to help translate that insight into action. One exercise — mapping out her technical capabilities, research activities, and potential end users — helped her step back and think more strategically about the bigger picture.

“It’s very rare that we get opportunities to sit down and really think about where our technical skills contribute to what end users actually want,” she says.

Both programs had a lasting influence on how Vivian approaches her work.

“The shift towards thinking about impact first has really changed how I start projects now,” she explains. “Usually when I begin something, I ask myself: who is going to care about this?”

Turning research into community impact

Beyond her laboratory research, Vivian has also taken direct action to improve cardiovascular awareness in the community.

During her PhD, she founded Heart Camp, the first Victorian cardiovascular outreach program of its kind, aimed at young people in at-risk communities to improve their understanding of heart health.

Her work with the initiative led to a strong relationship with the Heart Foundation, which has supported the program through in-kind funding for the past five years. That connection ultimately helped strengthen her application for a Heart Foundation fellowship.

For Vivian, these experiences reinforced an important lesson: research impact can take many forms.

“There’s research impact, and then there’s community impact,” she says. “Both matter.”

Her advice to researchers who want to create meaningful impact is simple.

“Just do it. Send that cold email. If you’ve had the thought about reaching out to the community or building a relationship, go for it. We can’t do it alone and we need each other.”

More often than not, she says, people are willing to engage.

“People will say yes more often than you think.”

Through her research, outreach, and commitment to improving cardiovascular awareness, Vivian Tran is helping ensure that discoveries in the lab translate into healthier futures for the communities they are meant to serve.