About

Dr. Aaron Drovandi is a graduate of the Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm), Master of Pharmaceutical Public Health (MPharmPH), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs at James Cook University. His primary areas of research are peripheral artery disease, diabetes-related foot disease, and tobacco control. He currently works as a Research Fellow in the Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease (QRCPVD) under the supervision of Professor Jonathan Golledge.

He has several years of teaching experience in the BPharm and MPharmPH programs at James Cook University, as well as experience in teaching postgraduate Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. His primary teaching areas include musculoskeletal pharmacy, substance abuse, and clinical counselling.

Interests
Research
  • Peripheral artery disease
  • Diabetes-related foot disease
  • Tobacco Control
  • Smoking Cessation
Teaching
  • Pharmacist Scope of Practice
Research Disciplines
Socio-Economic Objectives
Honours
Awards
  • 2016 to 2018 - Australian Postgraduate Award (Scholarship)
Memberships
  • 2018 to 2020 - Public Health Association of Australia
  • 2018 to 2020 - Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
Publications

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles
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ResearchOnline@JCU stores 47+ research outputs authored by Dr Aaron Drovandi from 2014 onwards.

Current Funding

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Commonwealth Department of Health - Medical Research Future Fund - Cardiovascular Health

Supervised Home Exercise for Peripheral Artery Disease

Indicative Funding
$999,999 over 3 years
Summary
1 million Australians have leg artery blockage (peripheral artery disease; PAD) and are at very high risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. Up to one-third of patients having an acute cardiac event or stroke have PAD, which limits their recovery. Randomised controlled trials (RCT) have established supervised exercise therapy substantially improves the functional impairment caused by PAD and reduces the risk factors of acute cardiovascular events. International guidelines recommend supervised exercise therapy sessions are performed at tertiary facilities three times weekly for three months. These programs have poor uptake and are not suited to equitable provision across Australia particularly for regional and remote communities who have the greatest burden from PAD. Our workshops with patients indicated the commonest challenges to taking part in supervised exercise was travelling. In partnership with patients, health professionals and other stakeholders we have co-designed the Supervised Home-based exercise progrAm for Peripheral artery diseasE (SHAPE). This 12-week supervised exercise program is delivered directly to and completely undertaken within the participant's home using telehealth supervision and monitoring from a wrist worn accelerometer
Investigators
Jon Golledge, Belinda Parmenter, Clare Arnott, Rachel Neale, Nicola Burton, Clare Heal, Aaron Drovandi, Joseph Moxon, Jenna Pinchbeck, Christopher Askew, Richard Norman and Dylan Morris (College of Medicine & Dentistry, University of New South Wales, The George Institute for Global Health, The Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Griffith University, University of the Sunshine Coast, Curtin University and Townsville Hospital and Health Service)
Keywords
Prevention; Complications; Periphreal artery disease; Risk Factors

Commonwealth Department of Health - Medical Research Future Fund - Cardiovascular Health

Improving clinical pathways for abdominal aortic aneurysm through incorporating biomarkers

Indicative Funding
$1,000,000 over 3 years
Summary
20 million people worldwide have weakening of their main abdominal artery (abdominal aortic aneurysm; AAA) and are at high risk of both major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and AAA related events (AAA repair and rupture-related death). Most AAAs are identified at a small size when their risk of rupture is low. Management of small AAA focuses on repeat aortic imaging every 6 months to identify when the threshold diameter (50mm in women and 55mm in men) is reached for elective surgical AAA repair. Most small AAAs continue to grow in size and eventually undergo repair. No drugs have been shown to limit AAA growth and the clinical pathway focuses on identifying those needing surgery rather than medical management. There are no established means to individualise care. Our interviews with patients and health professionals indicate that the number one deficiency in current AAA management is the lack of individualising medical management to reduce the high incidence of MACE and AAA related events. Our international AAA alliance is uniquely placed due to our resources (biobank-registry) and IP (bioinformatics, clinical, engineering software, genomics, biomarkers, machine learning and pathogenesis) to addresses this unmet clinical need.
Investigators
Jon Golledge, Clare Arnott, Thomas Gasser, Rebecca Evans, Joseph Moxon, Matt Field, Jenna Pinchbeck, Aaron Drovandi, Dylan Morris, Svetha Venkatesh, Truyen Tran, Catherine Rush, Aletta Schutte, Robyn Clay-Williams and Geoffrey Jones (College of Medicine & Dentistry, The George Institute for Global Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, College of Public Health, Medical & Vet Sciences, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Deakin University, University of New South Wales, Macquarie University and University of Otago)
Keywords
Prevention; Complications; Peripheral artery disease; Risk Factors

Commonwealth Department of Health - Medical Research Future Fund - Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care

METformin for treating peripheral artery disease Related walking Impairment Trial (MERIT)

Indicative Funding
$1,215,182 over 3 years
Summary
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a very common chronic cardiovascular disease of ageing affecting approximately 1 million older Australians and causing substantial leg pain on walking (intermittent claudication), marked functional impairment, reduced quality of life (QOL) and very high risk of major adverse cardiovascular and limb events. Vulnerable populations (e.g. regional or remote, lower income and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations) have much greater PAD-related burden. Our past consultations with patients indicate that improvements in walking is their number one priority. The only widely available PAD treatment in Australia is revascularisation but this does not improve walking distance and has substantial safety concerns. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that metformin safely improves leg blood supply. MERIT is a placebo-controlled randomised trial performed across 7 sites. The importance of the trial has been endorsed by patients, Heart Foundation, Queensland Health and Australian and New Zealand Society for Vascular Surgery and Alliance for Cardiovascular Trials. If positive, MERIT will identify a cheap, safe and widely available drug to improve the function and QOL of millions of older adults worldwide who have PAD.
Investigators
Jon Golledge, Clare Arnott, Edward Strivens, Belinda Parmenter, Clare Heal, Christopher Reid, Aaron Drovandi, Joseph Moxon, Jenna Pinchbeck, Richard Norman, Dylan Morris, Christopher Askew, Sarah Larkins, Rachel Quigley and Yvonne Cadet-James (College of Medicine & Dentistry, The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Curtin University, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, University of the Sunshine Coast and Indigenous Education & Research Centre)
Keywords
Prevention; Complications; Peripheral artery disease; Risk Factors
Collaboration

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.

  • 5+ collaborations
  • 4 collaborations
  • 3 collaborations
  • 2 collaborations
  • 1 collaboration
  • Indicates the Tropics (Torrid Zone)

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Email
Location
  • 47.015, Pharmacy and Medical Research (Townsville campus)
Advisory Accreditation
Primary Advisor
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