I gained my medical degree with honours from the University of Melbourne in 2010 and qualified as a cardiologist in 2017. Alongside my medical and cardiology training, I undertook additional studies at Imperial College London (2007-08, laboratory-based research in pulmonary hypertension) and Harvard University (2015-16, biostatistics and epidemiology).
I am currently the Wilma Beswick Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne as well as a practising clinical cardiologist. I am an Associate Editor for European Heart Journal Case Reports and Heart, Lung & Circulation, a regular peer reviewer for international cardiology journals and sit on the St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Ethics Committee.
My clinical and research interests include:
Cardiac Arrest: My PhD, completed in 2022 at the Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, focussed on young cardiac arrest and received the Paul Korner PhD Medal and was a finalist for the Premier’s Award for Clinical Research. I established the EndUCD registry as part of a team and am involved in multiple international initiatives to improve our understanding of cardiac arrest.
‘Big Data’: I am a Steering Committee Member for NEDA (the National Echocardiographic Database of Australia, the world’s largest database of approximately 1.5million echocardiograms), and much of my research has focussed on efforts to improve data quality, capture and analysis.
Global Cardiac Health: As a World Heart Federation Emerging Leader, I am involved in multiple global health initiatives to improve equality in cardiac care. I am also Deputy Medical Director of the East Timor Hearts Fund, travelling to Timor-Leste regularly to provide volunteer cardiac services and lead research programs.
Aviation Cardiology: I am one of just six CASA Designated Aviation Cardiologists in Australia, as well as being a Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME). I regularly provide cardiology aviation expert assessments and opinions.
Key Achievements
2023: Best Australian Abstract, European Society of Cardiology Congress
2023: World Heard Federation Yusuf Salim Emerging Leader
2022: Wilma Beswick Senior Research Fellowship
2022: Finalist, Premier’s Award for Clinical Research
2022: Paul Korner PhD Medal
2022: Paediatric & Congenital Prize, CSANZ Congress
2021: Heart Foundation 3-Minute Thesis Competition
2021: Heart Foundation Research Grant
2018: RACP JJ Billings Scholarship
2018: Heart Foundation Health Professional Scholarship
2018: NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship
2018: PSA Cardiovascular Research Scholarship
Selected publications
Paratz E, Nehme Z, Stub D, La Gerche A. No association between out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and COVID-19 vaccination. Circ 2023; 147; 1309-11. DOI: 1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.063753
Paratz E, van Heusden A, Zentner D, Morgan N, Smith K, Thompson T, James P, Connell V, Pflaumer A, Semsarian C, Ingles J, Parsons S, Rauchberger I, Stub S, La Gerche A. Sudden cardiac death in people with schizophrenia: higher risk, poorer resuscitation profiles and differing pathologies. JACC Clin EP 2023; 147(17); 1309-11. DOI: 1016/j.jacep.2023.01.026
Paratz E, Rowe S, Stub D, Pflaumer A, La Gerche A. A systematic review of global autopsy rates in all-cause mortality and young sudden death. Heart Rhythm 2023; 20(4); 607-13. DOI: 1016/j.hrthm.2023.01.008
Paratz E, van Heusden A, Ball J, Zentner D, Parsons S, Morgan N, Thompson T, James P, Connell V, Pflaumer A, Semsarian C, Stub D, Smith K, La Gerche A. Causes, circumstances and potential preventability of cardiac arrest in the young: insights from a state-wide clinical and forensic registry. Europace 2022; 24(12); 1933-41. DOI: 1093/europace/euac141
Paratz E, Block T, Stub D, La Gerche A, Kistler P, Kalman J, Strathmore N, Mond H, Woodford N, Burke M, Voskoboinik A. Post-mortem interrogation of cardiac implantable electronic devices: a fifteen-year experience. JACC Clin EP 2022; 8(3):356-66. DOI: 1016/j.jacep.2021.10.011
Paratz E, Smith K, Ball J, van Heusden A, Zentner D, Parsons S, Morgan N, Thompson T, James P, Pflaumer A, Semsarian C, Stub D, Liew D, La Gerche A. The economic impact of sudden cardiac arrest. Resuscitation 2021: 163; 49-56. DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2021.04.001