The 2018 R T Hall Prize has been awarded to Professor Stephen Nicholls in recognition of his achievements in the field of dyslipidemia, plaque imaging and cardiovascular clinical trials. Professor Nicholls has an unequivocal international standing and his ability to coordinate large numbers of collaborative research partners in multicentre clinical trials has established him as arguably Australia’s leading cardiovascular clinical trialist. Professor Nicholls’ major contributions have been in the area of IVUS-measured plaque progression and regression where he has shown clear relationships between LDL cholesterol level and the likelihood of plaque progression and regression and has pioneered the expansion of imaging studies into clinical trials. He has also led clinical outcome trials, which have materially changed clinical practice. Professor Nicholls has established a basic science laboratory at SAHMRI, which amplifies the reach and relevance of his clinical trial work as mechanistic studies link with outcome trials. Professor Nicholls demonstrates a major commitment to supervision and mentoring and he has supervised numerous young scientists, with an established track record of publication and presentation productivity