Professor Vicky A. Cameron

Deputy Dean
Research Professor

BSc PhD(Otago)

Christchurch Heart Institute
Department of Medicine

Current roles

Deputy Dean, University of Otago, Christchurch
Group Leader, Molecular Endocrinology Laboratory, Christchurch Heart Institute and Named Investigator on the current HRC Programme.
Lead Investigator on the Genetic Profiles of Healthy Volunteers for the Study of Heart Disease and the Christchurch Family Heart Study
Co-Leader of the Māori Community Heart Study

Research interests

Cardiovascular genetics and genomics
Gene expression and the underlying pathology in models of heart disease

Professor Cameron heads the Molecular Biology and Genetics Laboratory of the Christchurch Heart Institute, researching the influence of genomics and epigenetics in heart disease development and progression, and the association of genetic variation with clinical outcomes in New Zealand heart disease patients.

She is also investigating non-coding RNAs, such as the long, non-coding RNA (ANRIL) at chromosome 9p21, and their contribution to coronary heart disease susceptibility, as well as circulating microRNAs as novel biomarkers for prognosis after hospital admission for an acute coronary syndrome.

Prof Cameron completed her PhD (The Role of Brain Hormones in the Regulation of Hypothalamic-Pituitary Secretion During Acute Haemorrhagic Stress) while employed as a Scientific Officer in the Department of Medicine at the Christchurch School of Medicine (1982-1990).

Prof Cameron conducted Postdoctoral Research at the Peptide Biology Laboratories, The Salk Institute, San Diego (1990–1992) supported by a Fogarty Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, from the NIH.

In 1992, she returned to New Zealand under a Repatriation Fellowship from the Health Research Council to the position of Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

Awards

Council of the University of Otago, Representative of Academic Staff 2012
Elected International Fellow, American Heart Association, Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2011
Otago Nominee, New Zealand Women in Leadership Programme 2011
Outstanding Teaching Award, UOC 2008
OUSA Supervisor Award 2005
Repatriation Fellowship, Health Research Council of New Zealand 1992-94
Fogarty Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, US National Institutes of Health 1990-91
Scientific Interchange Fellowship, Canterbury Medical Research Foundation 1988

Hauora Manawa/Heart Health: the Community Heart Study

Prof Cameron has also become involved in research into the causes for the disparity in cardiovascular mortality between Māori and non-Māori.

This cohort study has been documenting current levels of heart disease, diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors in two regionally distinct, rural and urban Māori communities, compared to a non-Māori comparator group.

The cohort have now been followed for 5 years to understand the changes in heart disease risk factors over this time.

^ Top of page

Publications

Pilbrow, A. P., Folkersen, L., Pearson, J. F., Brown, C. M., McNoe, L., Wang, N. M., … Black, M. A., Troughton, R. W., Richards, A. M., … Cameron, V. A. (2012). The chromosome 9p21.3 coronary heart disease risk allele is associated with altered gene expression in normal heart and vascular tissues. PLoS ONE, 7(6), e39574. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039574

Chan, K., Patel, R. S., Newcombe, P., Nelson, C. P., Qasim, A., Epstein, S. E., … Ellis, K. L., … Richards, A. M., Cameron, V. A., … Ye, S. (2013). Association between the chromosome 9p21 locus and angiographic coronary artery disease burden: A collaborative meta-analysis. JACC, 61(9), 957-970. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2012.10.051

Cameron, V. A., Faatoese, A. F., Gillies, M. W., Robertson, P. J., Huria, T. M., Doughty, R. N., Whalley, G. A., … Richards, M. A., Troughton, R. W., Tikao-Mason, K. N., Wells, E. J., Sheerin, I. G., & Pitama, S. G. (2012). A cohort study comparing cardiovascular risk factors in rural Māori, urban Māori and non-Māori communities in New Zealand. BMJ Open, 2(3), e000799. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000799

Santhanakrishnan, R., Ng, T. P., Cameron, V. A., Gamble, G. D., Ling, L. H., Sim, D., … Troughton, R., Richards, A. M., … Lam, C. S. P. (2013). The Singapore Heart Failure Outcomes and Phenotypes (SHOP) study and Prospective Evaluation of Outcome in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (PEOPLE) study: Rationale and design. Journal of Cardiac Failure, 19(3), 156-162. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2013.01.007

Pilbrow, A. P., Cordeddu, L., Cameron, V. A., Frampton, C. M., Troughton, R. W., Doughty, R. N., Whalley, G. A., … Yandle, T. G., Richards, A. M., & Foo, R. S.-Y. (2014). Circulating miR-323-3p and miR-652: Candidate markers for the presence and progression of acute coronary syndromes. International Journal of Cardiology, 176, 375-385. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.07.068

Chapter in Book - Research
Journal - Research Article

Chapter in Book - Research

Faatoese, A. F., Pitama, S. G., Wells, J. E., & Cameron, V. A. (2013). Understanding cardiovascular disparities between Māori and non-Māori in New Zealand: Is there a way to reduce these disparities? In O. T. Jackson & K. A. Evans (Eds.), Health disparities: Epidemiology, racial/ethnic and socioeconomic risk factors and strategies for elimination. (pp. 77-102). New Yourk, NY: Nova.

^ Top of page

Journal - Research Article

Muniraj, N., Stamp, L. K., Badiei, A., Hegde, A., Cameron, V., & Bhatia, M. (2017). Hydrogen sulfide acts as a pro-inflammatory mediator in rheumatic disease. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, 20(2), 182-189. doi: 10.1111/1756-185x.12472

Aimer, P., Stamp, L. K., Stebbings, S., Cameron, V., Kirby, S., Croft, S., & Treharne, G. J. (2016). Developing a tailored smoking cessation intervention for rheumatoid arthritis patients. Musculoskeletal Care, 14(1), 2-14. doi: 10.1002/msc.1106

Aimer, P., Stamp, L., Stebbings, S., Valentino, N., Cameron, V., & Treharne, G. J. (2015). Identifying barriers to smoking cessation in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care & Research, 67(5), 607-615. doi: 10.1002/acr.22503

Ellmers, L. J., Scott, N. J. A., Cameron, V. A., Richards, A. M., & Rademaker, M. T. (2015). Chronic urocortin 2 administration improves after cardiac function and ameliorates cardiac remodeling after experimental myocardial infarction. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, 65(3), 269-275. doi: 10.1097/FJC.0000000000000190

Earle, N. J., Poppe, K. K., Pilbrow, A. P., Cameron, V. A., Troughton, R. W., Skinner, J. R., … Whalley, G. A., … Richards, A. M., & Doughty, R. N. (2015). Genetic markers of repolarization and arrhythmic events following acute coronary syndromes. American Heart Journal, 169(4), 579-586.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2014.11.015

Whalley, G. A., Pitama, S., Troughton, R. W., Doughty, R. N., Gamble, G. D., Gillies, T., Wells, J. E., Faatoese, A., Huria, T., Richards, M., & Cameron, V. A. (2015). Higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy in two Māori cohorts: Findings from the Hauora Manawa/Community Heart Study. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 39(1), 26-31. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.12300

Cameron, V. A., & Pilbrow, A. P. (2014). Circulating microRNAs as biomarkers in coronary heart disease and heart failure. microRNA Diagnostics & Therapeutics, 1(1), 58-74.

Earle, N., Han, D. Y., Pilbrow, A., Crawford, J., Smith, W., Shelling, A. N., Cameron, V., … Skinner, J. R. (2014). Single nucleotide polymorphisms in arrhythmia genes modify the risk of cardiac events and sudden death in long QT syndrome. Heart Rhythm, 11(1), 76-82. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2013.10.005

Palmer, B. R., Slow, S., Ellis, K. L., Pilbrow, A. P., Skelton, L., Frampton, C. M., Palmer, S. C., Troughton, R. W., Yandle, T. G., … Whalley, G. A., … Lever, M., George, P. M., Chambers, S. T., … Richards, A. M., & Cameron, V. A. (2014). Genetic polymorphism rs6922269 in the MTHFD1L gene is associated with survival and baseline active vitamin B12 levels in post-acute coronary syndromes patients. PLoS ONE, 9(3), e89029. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089029

Lacey, C., Mulder, R., Bridgman, P., Kimber, B., Zarifeh, J., Kennedy, M., & Cameron, V. (2014). Broken heart syndrome: Is it a psychosomatic disorder? Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 77(2), 158-160. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2014.05.003

Ellis, K. L., Cameron, V. A., Troughton, R. W., Frampton, C. M., Ellmers, L. J., & Richards, A. M. (2013). Circulating microRNAs as candidate markers to distinguish heart failure in breathless patients. European Journal of Heart Failure, 15(10), 1138-1147. doi: 10.1093/eurjhf/hft078

Prickett, T. C. R., Olney, R. C., Cameron, V. A., Ellis, M. J., Richards, A. M., & Espiner, E. A. (2013). Impact of age, phenotype and cardio-renal function on plasma C-type and B-type natriuretic peptide forms in an adult population. Clinical Endocrinology, 78(5), 783-789. doi: 10.1111/cen.12035

Schluter, P. J., Spittlehouse, J. K., Cameron, V. A., Chambers, S., Gearry, R., Jamieson, H. A., Kennedy, M., Lacey, C. J., Murdoch, D. R., Pearson, J., Porter, R. J., Richards, M., Skidmore, P. M. L., Troughton, R., Vierck, E., & Joyce, P. R. (2013). Canterbury Health, Ageing and Life Course (CHALICE) study: Rationale, design and methodology. New Zealand Medical Journal, 126(1375). Retrieved from http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Stamp, L. K., Wells, J. E., Pitama, S., Faatoese, A., Doughty, R. N., Whalley, G., Richards, A. M., & Cameron, V. A. (2013). Hyperuricaemia and gout in New Zealand rural and urban Māori and non-Māori communities. Internal Medicine Journal, 43(6), 678-684. doi: 10.1111/imj.12062

Bentley, R. W., Keown, D. A., Gearry, R. B., Cameron, V. A., Keenan, J., Roberts, R. L., & Day, A. S. (2012). Vitamin D receptor polymorphisms in colorectal cancer in New Zealand: An association study. New Zealand Medical Journal, 125(1356). Retrieved from http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Ellis, K. L., Pilbrow, A. P., Potter, H. C., Frampton, C. M., Doughty, R. N., Whalley, G. A., … Palmer, B. R., Skelton, L., Yandle, T. G., Troughton, R. W., Richards, A. M., & Cameron, V. A. (2012). Association between endothelin type A receptor haplotypes and mortality in coronary heart disease. Personalized Medicine, 9(3), 341-349. doi: 10.2217/PME.12.10

Ellis, K. L., Palmer, B. R., Frampton, C. M., Troughton, R. W., Doughty, R. N., Whalley, G. A., … Pilbrow, A. P., Skelton, L., Yandle, T. G., Richards, A. M., & Cameron, V. A. (2012). Genetic variation in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and early mortality in established coronary heart disease. Journal of Human Hypertension, 27, 237-244. doi: 10.1038/jhh.2012.24

Palmer, B. R., Frampton, C. M., Skelton, L., Yandle, T. G., Doughty, R. N., Whalley, G. A., … Troughton, R. W., Richards, A. M., & Cameron, V. A. (2012). KCNE5 polymorphism rs697829 is associated with QT interval and survival in acute coronary syndromes patients. Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology, 23(3), 319-324. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-8167.2011.02192.x

Scott, N. J. A., Cameron, V. A., Raudsepp, S., Lewis, L. K., Simpson, E. R., Richards, A. M., & Ellmers, L. J. (2012). Generation and characterization of a mouse model of the metabolic syndrome: Apolipoprotein E and aromatase double knockout mice. American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology & Metabolism, 302, E576-E584. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00222.2011

More publications...