Peter Kistler

Professor Peter Kistler is an international leader in cardiac arrhythmia research, serving as Head of Clinical Electrophysiology at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and Head of Electrophysiology at The Alfred Hospital. He holds joint appointments as Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne and Monash University.

• Education: MBBS, PhD (2005, atrial fibrillation mechanisms), Postdoctoral Research at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London.

His groundbreaking work focuses on atrial fibrillation, alcohol's impact on heart rhythm, and advanced catheter ablation techniques. Key contributions include landmark trials on alcohol abstinence (NEJM 2020) and ablation strategies (JAMA 2023), which have redefined clinical approaches to arrhythmia management.

Research trends emphasize translational studies bridging clinical practice with technological innovation, including image integration in ablation procedures and novel mapping tools for complex arrhythmias. His work has global implications for heart failure treatment and public health interventions.

Scientific Awards

• RT Hall Prize (CSANZ, 2020) - the most prestigious research award in Australasia
• HRS Fellow Clinical Research Award (2005)
• Ralph Reader Basic Science Award (2005)
• Young Investigator Award finalist (HRS, 2004)

With 19 PhD students supervised and over 260 publications, he contributes extensively to editorial boards of journals like JACC: Electrophysiology and serves on international guidelines committees for the European Society of Cardiology and Heart Rhythm Society (USA).