CIRSA Directors  

Professor Joseph Selvanayagam

MBBS (Hons), DPhil (Oxon), FRACP, FCSANZ

Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine, Flinders University | Director of Non-Invasive Cardiac Imaging, Flinders Medical Centre | Director of Cardiac Research and Clinical Trials, Flinders

Professional Profile

Professor Joseph Selvanayagam is an internationally recognised authority in advanced cardiac imaging—encompassing Cardiac MRI, Cardiac CT, and Echocardiography—and a leader in cardiac clinical trials. He holds professional credentials, including Level 3 certification from the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging (SCMR) and Level A certification from the Australian Conjoint Committee for Cardiac CT.

Academic & Clinical Background

• Education: Graduated with First-Class Honours in Medicine from the University of Adelaide (1995).
• Clinical Training: Attained Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) in Cardiology (2002).
• Doctoral Research: Completed his PhD (DPhil) at the University of Oxford (2005).
• Fellowships & Awards: Recipient of the Wellcome Trust (UK) Cardiovascular Research Fellowship, the UK Overseas Research Students Award, Aherns Award (NHF) and the British Heart Foundation Intermediate Research Fellowship.
• Global Accolades: Honoured with a Merit Award from Oxford University and selected as a Samuel Levine Award Finalist by the American Heart Association.

Research Leadership & International Clinical trials

Professor Selvanayagam leads both the Cardiac Research and Clinical Trials division at Flinders and the CIRSA Imaging Core Lab. He drives innovations in cardiovascular research.  

• Funding Excellence: Secured more than $35 million AUD in competitive research grant funding.
• Publications: Published over 500 peer-reviewed manuscripts, abstracts, and textbook chapters.
• Academic: Generated a highly influential research footprint with an H-index of 60 and more than 30,000 academic citations.

Professor Philip E.Alward

BMBCh (Oxon), PhD, FRACP, FACC, FCSANZ

Professor of Medicine, Flinders University | Senior Consultant Cardiologist, Flinders Medical Centre | Affiliate Researcher, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)

Professional Profile

Professor Philip Aylward is an internationally recognised clinical cardiologist and researcher specializing in acute coronary syndromes, lipid management, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure. With over four decades of clinical experience, he is a leading global authority in the design, execution, and oversight of large-scale international cardiovascular clinical trials.

Academic & Clinical Background

• Education: Graduated in Medicine from the University of Oxford.
• Training: Completed advanced cardiology training in the United Kingdom and at Flinders Medical Centre.
• Research Qualifications: Earned a PhD in cardiovascular physiology from Flinders University.
• Fellowships: Undertook a prestigious post-doctoral clinical and research fellowship at the University of Iowa, USA.
• Appointments: Appointed as a Staff Specialist at Flinders Medical Centre in 1986, establishing a long-term tenure in senior clinical leadership.

Research Leadership & International Clinical trials

Professor Aylward has been at the forefront of multinational clinical research, serving as the Australian Lead Investigator and Global Executive Committee member for numerous landmark cardiovascular trials. 

• Publications: Co-authored over 250 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact medical journals.
• Research Impact: Amassed over 59,00 academic citations, with an h-index of 81, reflecting a highly influential research footprint.
• National Policy: Co-chaired the 2006 Australian Guidelines for the Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes.
• Guideline Contributions: Contributed expert authorship to the joint 2017 National Heart Foundation and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) Acute Coronary Syndrome Guidelines.

Mr Royce Mariadas 

MSc, BEng (Hons), CPEng, NER

Chartered Professional Engineer | Corporate Governance & Asset Stewardship Executive

Professional Profile

Mr Royce Mariadas is a Chartered Engineer with over 20 years of international experience spanning transport, rail, and major infrastructure across the public and private sectors in Australia and Asia. He has extensive experience in governance, expertise in risk oversight, asset stewardship, and corporate assurance within highly regulated, safety-critical environments.

 Governance & Directorship Experience

• Wattlers Pty Ltd (Director – Property Development): Delivers strategic oversight for property acquisitions, comprehensive risk exposure assessments, capital improvement programs, and regulatory/taxation compliance.
• Dasleena Investment Pty Ltd (Director – Investment Governance): Governs diversified asset portfolios through disciplined capital allocation, risk management controls, and compliance with Australian financial regulations.
• Montague Farm Medical Centre (Business Manager): Directs financial, workforce, and business sustainability strategies for a general medical practice, maintaining strict alignment with healthcare accreditation standards.

Engineering Leadership & Asset Assurance

• The Corporation of Marion (Manager, Design): Leads engineering design assurance, serves as the custodian of technical governance frameworks, and provides independent engineering counsel to executive leadership.
• Australian Rail Track Corporation (Trackside Systems Engineer): Directed engineering governance and technical assurance for safety-critical rail systems, including requirements management and chairing Signal Sighting Committees.
• Department for Infrastructure and Transport, SA (Project Manager): Managed complex transport infrastructure projects, driving public accountability through rigorous budget control, procurement management, and Ministerial briefings.
• International Career Foundation: Previously held engineering and asset management leadership roles across public transport, logistics, and industrial infrastructure sectors in Singapore and Australia.

Qualifications & Credentials

• Education: Master of Science (National University of Singapore); Bachelor of Engineering with Honours (University of Peradeniya).
• Professional Registrations: Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) and National Engineering Register (NER) member via Engineers Australia.