Professor Simon Stewart (FESC FHFA) is a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Senior Principal Research Fellow. He has dedicated his research career to understanding the evolving epidemic of heart disease and developing innovative health care programs to improve poor health outcomes in vulnerable communities from Central Australia to Sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2018 he has played a leading role in supporting the National Echo Database of Australia (collating data on >1 million people from >45 centres Australia-wide), helped to develop new research initiatives/capacity building in Southern Africa, whilst continuing to refine the evidence-base around chronic disease management programs via innovative trials. In further recognition of his efforts to improve health outcomes in heart failure he was made a Fellow of the Heart Failure Association and has been awarded a rare Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) for his achievements in heart failure and atrial fibrillation.