Andrew Justin Stewart Coats (born 1 February 1958) is an Australian–British academic
cardiologist
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular ...
who has particular interest in the management of heart failure. His research suggested exercise training (rather than bed rest) as a more effective treatment for
chronic heart failure. He is known for putting forward the "muscle hypothesis" of heart failure. In addition to this, Coats is a fundraiser, university administrator, and inventor. His
Imperial College patents have formed the basis of companies specialising in the treatment of
cachexia
Cachexia () is a complex syndrome associated with an underlying illness, causing ongoing muscle loss that is not entirely reversed with nutritional supplementation. A range of diseases can cause cachexia, most commonly cancer, congestive heart ...
(Myotec and PsiOxus).
Early life and education
Andrew Stewart Coats was born and raised in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. His father, Douglas A. Coats, was a Professor of Resuscitation who first described
essential fatty acids
Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that humans and other animals must ingest because the body requires them for good health but cannot synthesize them.
Only two fatty acids are known to be essential for humans: alpha-linolenic ac ...
.
Stewart Coats was educated at
Melbourne Grammar School
(Pray and Work)
, established = 1849 (on present site since 1858 - the celebrated date of foundation)
, type = Independent, co-educational primary, single-sex boys secondary, day and boarding
, denomination ...
, where he was
''proxime accessit'' Head of School and a School Officer;
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College (colloquially called St Catz or Catz) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and is the newest college admitting both undergraduate and graduate students. Tracing its roots back to 1868 (although t ...
, where he graduated with a B.A. in Physiological Sciences with First-Class Honours and won the Rose Prize; and
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refound ...
, where he read medicine, earning a M.B. B.Chir., and was top of his year with two distinctions.
Career
Medical career
After qualifying in medicine in 1980, Stewart Coats started his career at
St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
St Vincent's Hospital is a major hospital in Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia.
It is operated by the St Vincent's Health service, previously known as the Sisters of Charity Health Service, Melbourne. It is situated at the corner of Nicholson Stree ...
under Professor
David Penington and then at the University of Oxford under Professor
Peter Sleight
Professor Peter Sleight M.D.( Cantab.), D.M. ( Oxon.) FRCP FACC (27 June 1929 – 7 October 2020)'Sleight, Prof. Peter', Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, Decembe ...
. In 1991, he was appointed Senior Lecturer, supported by the
British Heart Foundation
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is a cardiovascular research charity in the United Kingdom. It funds medical research related to heart and circulatory diseases and their risk factors, and runs influencing work aimed at shaping public policy ...
, at the National Heart and Lung Institute
HLIunder Professor
Philip Poole-Wilson.
In 1996, he was appointed the Viscount Royston Professor of Cardiology at
Imperial College. He was also honorary consultant physician at the
Royal Brompton Hospital
Royal Brompton Hospital is the largest specialist heart and lung medical centre in the United Kingdom. It is managed by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
History Consumption in the 19th Century
In the 19th century, consumption was a c ...
in London, and its Clinical Director for Cardiology and its Associate Medical Director. In 2002, Stewart Coats became the 17th Dean of the
Faculty of Medicine at the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...
. In 2006, he was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Communications) of the University of Sydney. In 2009, Stewart Coats was appointed the second Norwich Research Park Professor-at-Large, second to Baron
Solly Zuckerman
Solomon "Solly" Zuckerman, Baron Zuckerman (30 May 1904 – 1 April 1993) was a British public servant, zoologist and operational research pioneer. He is best remembered as a scientific advisor to the Allies on bombing strategy in the Second Wo ...
. In 2011, Stewart Coats was appointed chief executive officer of the
Norwich Research Park. In 2013, he took up the position of Joint Academic Vice-President of
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university h ...
, Australia and the
University of Warwick
, mottoeng = Mind moves matter
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £7.0 million (2021)
, budget = £698.2 million (2020â ...
, UK.
Research career
Stewart Coats commenced his research career in
hypertension, where he did some of the early work on the clinical value of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. His subsequent career, forming the bulk of his more than 550 research papers, has been in the field of heart failure where he conducted the first ever randomised trial of exercise training in chronic heart failure.
He coined the term "The Muscle Hypothesis", the now accepted explanation for the generation of exercise-limiting symptoms in chronic heart failure, but at the time a radical theory.
He has been chairman or a member of the steering committee of many large-scale international drug trials that have influenced treatment of cardiovascular disease. These include the Carvedilol Prospective Randomized Cumulative Survival (COPERNICUS) Trial, OPTIMAAL (angiotensin receptor antagonist in heart failure), and SENIORS (management of heart failure in the elderly).
He has published over 450 items on PubMed and has been Editor-in-Chief of the ''
International Journal of Cardiology
The ''International Journal of Cardiology'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal that publishes research articles about the study and management of cardiac diseases. The journal is affiliated with the International Society for Adult Congenital Cardia ...
'' since 1999.
In 2016, he was the keynote speaker at the International Conference of Undergraduate Research, held concurrently in Australia, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Africa and the US.
National and international work
Stewart Coats was appointed chair of Australia's peak policy body for
Health Informatics, the Australian Health Information Council (AHIC). He sat on many committees and chaired the New South Wales Ministerial Advisory Committee on Health and Medical Research (MACMHR). In his three years as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of External Relations and Development at Sydney, the university achieved the highest ever fund-raising total for any Australian university, in excess of A$50 million per year.
Commercial career
Stewart Coats completed an
MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
at
London Business School
London Business School (LBS) is a business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London. LBS was founded in 1964 and awards post-graduate degrees (Master's degrees in management and finance, MBA and PhD). Its motto is " ...
and subsequently became a Fellow of the
Australian Institute of Company Directors
The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) is a non-profit membership organization for directors. The AICD is a founding member of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI).
History
The origins of the AICD can be traced ba ...
and a member of London's
Institute of Directors
The Institute of Directors (IoD) is a British professional organisation for company directors, senior business leaders and entrepreneurs. It is the UK's longest running organisation for professional leaders, having been founded in 1903 and incor ...
. He has also been a board director of a number of private and public companies, including Myotec, PsiOxus, Lone Star Heart Inc., Centenary Institute, the
Heart Research Institute
The Heart Research Institute (HRI) is a not-for-profit research facility, originally based in Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia and currently based in Newtown, New South Wales.
Established in 1989 through a joint initiative of the National ...
, Cardiodirect (UK) Limited, the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, and the George Institute of International Health.
Personal life
Stewart Coats has two brothers, one of whom, Peter, works for
Minter Ellison
MinterEllison is a multinational law firm, and professional services firm, based in Australia. The firm has fifteen offices and operates in five countries. By number of lawyers it is the largest law firm in Australia.
History
MinterEllison is ...
in Melbourne. Peter has previously been the firm's managing partner over a number of years, specialising in
asbestos litigation, coronial inquests, liability claims and occupational health and safety prosecutions, and insurance law and is a graduate of the
Melbourne Law School (LL.B.) and
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...
(B.A.).
In 2017 Stewart Coats was appointed an
Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to medical research and tertiary education in the field of cardiology, as an academic and author, and as a mentor and role model for young scientists.
Awards
*Linacre Medal of the
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...
(1998)
*The Inaugural Michael L Pollock Award,
American Heart Association (1999)
References
External links
Andrew J. Stewart Coatsat LinkedIn
Andrew J. Stewart Coats CVat University of Sydney
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart Coats, Andrew
1958 births
Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge
Alumni of St Catherine's College, Oxford
Alumni of London Business School
Australian cardiologists
British cardiologists
21st-century British medical doctors
Living people
Monash University
University of Sydney faculty
Medical doctors from Melbourne
Academics of Imperial College London
People associated with the University of Warwick
Officers of the Order of Australia
Fellows of the Australian Institute of Company Directors