LIVED EXPERIENCE with SPONTANEOUS CORONARY ARTERY DISSECTION (SCAD) Uncommon condition more prevalent in younger women
with
Jen O’Neill, Patient &
Board Member
SCAD Research Australia Inc &
Social Worker, Central Coast, NSW
LIVED EXPERIENCE SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | June 2026
Jen O’Neill is a Social Work Program Manager and mother of two from the Central Coast, NSW.
At 36, she experienced her first spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) heart attack and has since survived two further SCADs before age 43.
Her lived experience has driven a strong commitment to heart health advocacy, focusing on improving education, research, and clinical understanding of cardiovascular disease in women without typical risk factors.
Jen is a board member of SCAD Research Australia and serves on the Women’s Health Program Consumer Panel at The George Institute for Global Health.
She is an ambassador for Heart Research Australia’s Red Feb campaign and participates in studies including with the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and Mayo Clinic.
She also supports community fundraising initiatives, including the Central Coast SCADaddle for Research Walk. She is recognised for leadership in advocacy and advancing cardiovascular health informed by lived experience.
Source: MTAA Women’s Health MedTech Summit program
Media access credit: Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA)
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Role of milk in cognitive function and quality of life in older adults
New research emphasises the role of cows’ milk, particularly A1 protein free milk, in enhancing cognitive function and quality of life for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A multi-centre, double-blinded, randomised controlled clinical study published in *The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging* evaluated 88 milk-tolerant Chinese adults aged 65-75 over three months. Participants consumed either ordinary skim milk or A1 protein free skim milk, leading to improvements in various cognitive assessments.
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AHW Exhibitor: HPA Managing Director Shawn Wigham
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Primary care remodelled
Tracey Johnson is the CEO of Inala Primary Care, a not-for-profit general practice located in Inala serving approximately 7000 patients; 4400 of whom attend clinic regularly. Inala is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland and has a population of great cultural and linguistic diversity, with just under 40% of residents speaking English at home. It is also one of Queensland’s most socioeconomically marginalised urban areas.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Tracey on the role of Inala Primary care in reducing hospital admissions.
