Dennis Lau

Dennis Lau

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


Dennis is an academic cardiac electrophysiologist at The Royal Adelaide Hospital and Clinical Professor at The University of Adelaide. His research is focused on dysautonomia/ postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, atrial fibrillation, risk factor management and cardiac implantable electronic devices. He has published more than 260 peer reviewed journal articles and is an editorial board member for 7 international journals.

Dennis leads the Australian Dysautonomia and Arrhythmia Research Collaborative (ADARC) at The University of Adelaide. His team maintains the Oz-POTS registry, which will help with the understanding of clinical presentation, management, healthcare utilization and prognosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in Australia. The research team runs the sole multidisciplinary clinic for individuals with autonomic dysfunction. He is also involved with various cardiac implantable electronic device research, seeking to improve care of patients needing such devices to improve their health outcomes. His team is also focused on research into long-COVID and association with autonomic dysfunction.   

Current Projects:

Postural tachycardia syndrome - refining diagnosis and management of POTS

Several components of this work will involve signal analysis, clinical trials and data management.

Location: RAH, SAHMRI and ADARC

Multiple projects available for HDR, Masters and Honours program

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2022 - ongoing Clinical Professor University of Adelaide
    2013 - ongoing Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • Language Competencies

    Language Competency
    Chinese (Mandarin) Can read, write, speak and understand spoken
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    University of Melbourne Australia MBBS
    University of Adelaide Australia PhD
    The Royal Australasian College of Physicians Australia FRACP
  • Certifications

    Date Title Institution name Country
    FCSANZ Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand -
    FHRS Heart Rhythm Society -
  • Research Interests

Dennis has recent funding from Dysautonomia International and Standing up to POTS to conduct research in POTS. 

Personal funding: Postgraduate Scholarships (2006-2009) - University of Adelaide, Kidney Health Australia and NHMRC; Postdoctoral Fellowship (2010-2014) - CRB Blackburn Overseas Travelling Fellowship from The Royal Australasian College of Physicians and NHMRC overseas training fellowship and Mid-career Fellowship from The Hospital Research Foundation.

Research funding: St Jude Medical Australia (2006), Cardio Vascular Lipid Research Grant (2007), Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Foundation Research Grant (2014), Ramaciotti Establishment Grant (2014), Heart Foundation (SA) Tom Simpson Trust Fund (2013 & 2016) and The University of Adelaide School of Medicine Small Equipment Grant (2016).

 

Dennis has received numerous invitations to present (>50 in the last 5 years) and chair at scientific meetings both locally and internationally including: Heart Rhythm Society, USA, The Asia-Pacific Heart Rhythm Society, Venice Arrhythmias, 4 Corners of Cardiology & Heart Foundation Australia.

Dennis is also involved in supervising several Honours, advanced medical studies, Masters and PhD candidates.

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2024 Principal Supervisor Exploring the prevalence, aetiology, health care utilisation and economic burden of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Gemma Frances Wilson
    2024 Principal Supervisor Pathophysiology of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Indy Anna Joy Lawrie
    2023 Principal Supervisor Assessing preconceptions, awareness and education accessibility afforded to medical and physiotherapy health professionals, concerning Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and the often-seen comorbidity of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome(POTS). Master of Clinical Science Master Part Time Ms Pauline Maria Slater
    2020 Principal Supervisor Underlying Aetiologies in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Marie-Claire Seeley
    2016 Co-Supervisor Typical Atrial Flutter: Determinants of Progression to Atrial Fibrillation in Humans Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Anand Thiyagarajah
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Comprehensive Evaluation of Clinical Care in Patients with Cardiac Implanted Electronic Devices and Arrhythmias: Action towards Improved Workflow and Outcomes Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Bradley Matthew Pitman
    2017 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Atrial Fibrillation: Prevalence, Detection and Mechanistic Insights Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Kadhim Imad Kadhim
    2017 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Cardiac Ablation by Electroporation: Effects of Pulsed Field Ablation Field Strength and Repetition on Lesion Characteristics in the Atria and Ventricle Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Mehrdad Emami
    2016 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Characterisation of Atrial Fibrillation Patients: Risk Factors, Progression, Gender and Thrombogenic Risk Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Melissa Middeldorp
    2016 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Improving the evidence base for treatment of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Rachel Mary Wells
    2016 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Improved Characterisation of Hypertension in Atrial Fibrillation: Role of Central Blood Pressure and Aortic Stiffness Assessment Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Kashif Bashir Khokhar
    2015 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Atrial Fibrillation and Sudden Cardiac Death in Obesity:An Investigation of the Arrhythmogenicity of Epicardial Fat Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Thomas Adam Agbaedeng
    2015 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Clinical Outcomes Associated with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Andina Munawar
    2014 - 2015 Co-Supervisor Atrial Arrhymogenesis During Myocardial Infarction Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Muayad Alasady
    2014 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Atrial Electrophysiological and Structural Changes in Obesity & Diabetes Mellitus Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Melissa Neo
    2014 - 2017 Co-Supervisor The Surgical Management of Atrial Fibrillation Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Jason Arya Varzaly
    2013 - 2015 Co-Supervisor Aggressive Risk Factor Reduction Study for Atrial Fibrillation Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Rajeev Kumar Pathak
    2012 - 2017 Co-Supervisor The Impact of Weight Fluctuation on Atrial Substrate and the Prevention of Atrial Remodelling with the use of Anti-Fibrotics Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Darragh Joseph Twomey
    2011 - 2015 Co-Supervisor Atrial Reverse Remodeling in Hypertensive Substrate Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Shiv Thanigaimani

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