Dr Ian Nicholson (AM) went into medicine because he wanted to make a difference on a humanitarian level. Heart surgery provides Ian with instant gratification and gratitude. Time is of the essence when operating on a heart. Ian wants to improve each and every time with each surgery, as Ian states “the heart is not meant to be stopped therefore I want to do it better and improve each time I operate and get quicker and more efficient.”

Dr Nicholson operates at Westmead Hospital, Westmead Private Hospital, The Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAN), Norwest Private Hospital and the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network Westmead. He has carried out more than 50 life-saving heart missions in the South Pacific, South East Asia, South America and East Africa earning him the Order of Australia in 2014, and nomination & finalist for Australian of the Year in 2016.

Dr Nicholson grew up in Western Sydney. He graduated as dux of his primary school and attended Hurlstone Agricultural high school. He then completed his MBBS at Sydney University in 1988, and began surgical training at Westmead and Concord Hospitals in 1991. In 1998 Dr Nicholson was granted a Harvard Medical Fellowship where he undertook further advanced training at the Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Dr Nicholson is also actively involved in humanitarian projects with Open Heart International (OHI) performing both adult and paediatric Cardiac Surgery in the developing countries within the South Pacific, South East Asia, South America and East Africa.

Dr Nicholson says working in places like East Africa “outside of his comfort zone” has meant that surgical procedures are often done on a fraying shoestring in the most difficult of clinical situations, which has contributed to his reputation as the “speedy dual-handed heart surgeon.”

Also a loving father of three children, Dr Nicholson is well aware of the challenges that children and parents with complex health conditions face. He has performed heart and lung surgery on many children with complex health issues and disabilities and can guide parents through the surgical decision making process with experience and empathy.