Hidden from Search: Q&A with Corneel Vandelanotte

Welcome to a powerful movement, {$First_name}

Today, you’ve done something extraordinary. By choosing to give regularly to the Heart Foundation, you’ve joined a circle of changemakers who believe every Australian deserves the chance to live a long, healthy life free from heart disease.

You’re part of a movement of changemakers

Your ongoing contribution of {amount}{inMemory}, beginning on {startDate}, is more than a monthly donation, it’s a promise of hope. Month after month, your generosity ensures that the Heart Foundation can plan ahead with confidence, knowing that vital research, prevention programs, and support services will continue to receive the funding they need.

The difference you’re making

Because of you:

• Groundbreaking research can uncover new treatments and prevention strategies that save lives.
• Families touched by heart disease can access the support and resources they need to navigate difficult times.
• Communities across Australia can benefit from education and awareness programs that help prevent heart disease before it starts.

Your gift is the steady heartbeat behind all of this work. Every month, you’re helping us move closer to a future where heart disease no longer claims the lives of our loved ones.

Together, we are unstoppable

You’re now part of a dedicated group of supporters who share your vision of a healthier Australia. Together, we are transforming lives, strengthening families, and building communities where every heart can thrive. Your generosity is not just changing statistics - it’s changing stories, one life at a time.

Your confirmation

You’ll receive an email shortly with all the details of your regular gift. If it doesn’t arrive, please contact our Supporter Relations team at contactus@heartfoundation.org.au or call 13 11 12. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

Stay inspired

Follow the Heart Foundation on social media to see the breakthroughs, stories, and lives you’re helping to change.

(NB - Personalisation only renders post‑donation. Viewing the thank you page outside the donation flow will show placeholder field codes.)

In urban environments that have limited space for exercise and movement, it can be difficult for people to include physical activity as part of their daily routine. There are also often extra costs associated with using specialised exercise facilities or when joining a sporting group. Therefore, we need to come up with clever ways that can empower people to be active in the environment that is available to them, without adding to the cost of living.

Of course, I am practicing what I preach! It’s fun to be active and it makes me feel great both physically and mentally. I want to help others to enjoy these same benefits.

Are there any achievements or discoveries from the past year you can share with us?

Our previous work has shown that using tracking devices that synchronise movement data with an app (such as a Fitbit) are more effective in getting people moving than those that don’t. We have also seen that chatbots that are delivered via social media apps are able to increase people’s physical activity by up to 3.5 times the amount they did previously. In fact, chatbots have been shown to effectively improve several things which protect cardiovascular health, including increasing physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake and sleep duration. We are using the findings from this work to make sure that our newly developed ML-based chatbot can have the biggest impact on people’s physical activity.

What role has Heart Foundation funding had in your career journey?

Heart Foundation funding allows me to do awesome and innovative research that would otherwise not be possible. It allows me to make new discoveries, publish results in high quality, peer reviewed scientific journals and helps people to live more active lives and prevent heart disease. It also supports my career in research and will enable me to secure future funding so I can continue my journey as a researcher.

Do you have a message for Heart Foundation supporters?

I'm very excited and grateful to have been awarded a Vanguard Grant by the Heart Foundation. It is such a privilege to secure one of these very competitive grants, and I am thankful to the Heart Foundation for offering the opportunity and for their commitment to heart disease research. I still can't believe my application also won the 2021 Ross Hohnen Innovation award, that is well beyond anything I expected.