Varun Malik MBBS, PhD

Dr. Malik is a cardiologist and electrophysiologist from Adelaide, Australia. He is currently visiting research faculty at UCLA (2023-2024 with Professor Kalyanam Shivkumar) and clinical senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide. Dr. Malik received his medical degree from The University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia. He obtained Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of Physicians in adult cardiology and proceeded to complete a Fellowship in cardiac electrophysiology and pacing at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia. Together with this, he obtained his PhD degree from the University of Adelaide, under the mentorship of Professor Prashanthan Sanders. His scientific work has been awarded several Australian and International awards including the Heart Rhythm Society’s Young Investigator Award (Clinical Research) and JACC Clinical Electrophysiology best author award for his paper entitled “Autonomic Afferent Dysregulation in Atrial Fibrillation.”

His clinical interests include catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias and autonomic neuromodulation, atrial fibrillation, management of dysautonomias (especially postural tachycardia syndrome and vasovagal syncope) and device implantation. His primary research has focussed on the pathophysiology and clinical sequelae of atrial fibrillation, specifically due to autonomic dysregulation of afferent or interoceptive nerve inputs. His main research goals are to delineate the role that the autonomic nervous system plays as both a trigger and substrate of cardiac arrhythmias, to develop novel therapeutic strategies that harness the autonomic neural control of the heart. He is passionate about scientific progress through appropriate peer review and serves as editorial board member for Heart Rhythm 0₂. Dr. Malik also enjoys outreach medicine and the provision of cardiac services to Australia’s First Nations people.