Prof. Peter Kistler

Professor Peter Kistler is a cardiologist and electrophysiologist who heads both clinical and research groups in the Heart Rhythm Department at the Alfred Hospital and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne. He has dual Professorships at the University of Melbourne and Monash Universities. He established clinical services in heart rhythm disorders at the Alfred and Cabrini Hospital which now perform more than 800 ablation procedures/year.

Over the past 20 years Professor Kistler has developed a National and International reputation in the field of cardiac arrhythmia research and treatment. He is considered a world leader in this area and his research has been published in the world’s leading international journals (New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA) and his research has been incorporated into guidelines and translated into clinical practice. His research has been presented at the late breaking clinical trials at the prestigious American College of cardiology (2019) and European Society of Cardiology(2022,2023) meetings.

Cardiac Research

Professor Kistler received his PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2005 and has over 250 peer-reviewed publications with over 17,000 citations. He has been the principal investigator for major randomised trials which have changed the management of people with arrhythmias in heart failure(JACC 2017), established the importance of alcohol (NEJM 2020) and ablation strategies (JAMA 2023). He has served on multiple guidelines writing committees for National Heart Foundation, Cardiac Society of Australia/New Zealand(CSANZ) and ESC and is currently Chair of the Australian Atrial Fibrillation Ablation guidelines committee for cardiac society.

Professor Kistler has served on National and International program committees and given over 70 invited lectures including the major annual scientific sessions of The American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology and Heart Rhythm Society.

Professor Kistler is a current recipient of an Investigatorship from the NHMRC and has also obtained research support from the National Heart Foundation and CSANZ. He was recipient of the R.T. Hall prize of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand in 2020

which recognises outstanding contributions to cardiac research.

Prof Kistler’s research has attracted media attention from news outlets nationally (Channels 7/9 and 10NEWS; 3AW, ABC, The Age, The Australian and Herald Sun and internationally. In 2020 his research was featured by American College of Cardiology and broadcast on The Today Show and USA Today, Washington Post and Daily Telegraph and Post in the UK.

Prof Kistler has performed 1000’s of catheter ablation procedures with access to the latest in technology and techniques.