The Clinical Takeaway: Blood lipids and other tests for cardiac risk, familial hypercholesterolemia

David Sullivan is a physician and chemical pathologist in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. This includes conjoint appointment as Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney Central Clinical School. David has a long-term interest in lipid metabolism with particular emphasis on the environmental component (especially dietary) of gene – environment interactions contributing to cardiovascular disease. He has been involved in the early use of many forms of lipid-lowering intervention and has a particular interest in interventions arising from nutritional principles, such as the cholesterol-lowering effect of plant sterols. His other main interest is the improvement of detection and management of severe inherited dyslipidaemia, such as that seen in Familial Hypercholesterolaemia. David has experience in several international clinical posts, including registrarship at the MRC Lipoprotein Unit, Royal Postgraduate School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London and co-ordination of international clinical studies from the World Health Organization reference lipid laboratory in Wageningen, Netherlands. In addition to his clinical activities in Australia, he has served on numerous clinical committees including the management committees of the LIPID and FIELD trials. Current research interests are focussed on biomarkers and post-prandial metabolism