Message from the Director

The CVRI is ready to enter its next phase of growth.

3 April 2025

Dear Colleagues, 

Evangelos Michelakis

Please forgive the silence during the transition of CVRI leadership. After Justin’s and previous directors’ leadership, which set its foundation, the CVRI is ready to enter its next phase of growth! Below are some initial ideas that I had presented during my vision presentations and summary of the next steps. I am also setting up “open door” virtual weekly meetings for all members to book zoom appointments with me to discuss ideas and concerns throughout the year (the link and ways to book a zoom meeting with me, will be coming soon). After the first year, the document below will be readjusted to capture all relevant ideas and address all concerns. At that time, a leadership team will be formed to steer the CVRI to its next phase, based on your advice that I will receive through my 1:1 meetings with you.

Vision

“To establish an arena for U of A faculty, learners and all stakeholders to collaborate creating innovative science that enhances cardiovascular care”.

Purpose

“To establish CVRI as the premier cardiovascular research institute in Canada and one of the best in the world by engaging with the Mazankowski Heart Institute, a premier heart hospital, and other affiliated 黑料不打烊 hospitals to promote the cardiovascular health of current and future generations”. 

Components, cores and partners

  • center
  • Drug Discovery core
  • Clinical trials core
  • Medical image processing core
  • Communications core
  • A training program on translational research across all 4 research pillars, as well as clinical training through simulation models

The CVRI is now integrated with the , a premier center for discovery which includes several research units (including animal echocardiography, PET/MRI, metabolic chambers) under the leadership of Jason Dyck and, before him, Gary Lopaschuk. A new cardiovascular Drug Discovery core will be created and added to the CVRC cores. This core will use in silico models and AI to discover and synthesize novel drugs. Amir Tabatabaei, a new Faculty member in the School of Pharmacy, will lead this core and run it through grants and CVRI support.

The CVRI will partner with the Canadian VIGOUR Center (), whose faculty (clinician scientists and outcomes researchers) will facilitate the translation of basic research of CVRI members to clinical practice. The aligns with CVRI’s mission and the CVC Foundation looks to partner with CVRI on innovative investigator-initiated clinical research projects. Moreover, as part of this partnership, the CVRI has committed $50K/year x2 to CVC members Padma Kaul (HSF Chair) and Finlay McAlister to create a platform through which CVRI members can access and use preliminary provincial clinical data in preparation for provincial and CIHR grants.

New core for clinical research, consisting of research nurses and administration staff, will be created to implement clinical research projects run by CVRI faculty, driven by the divisions of cardiology and CV surgery from the Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics and Surgery. This will follow discussions with similar units that exist in the FOMD and CHS, to determine potential “added value”.

Clinical and discovery research will be facilitated by a new digital image processing core using AI to process, analyze and integrate images from ECHO, MRI and nuclear imaging in animals and humans. This will be based on funds secured by Justin, during his last term as interim director, and will be directed by him. A new communications core will promote CVRI successes through a revamped CVRI webpage and social media. A training core will provide training in translational research methods across all Pillars, led by Gopi Sutendra and Glen Jickling) and novel clinical training using simulations (J Senaratne) for CVRI graduate students, residents and fellows.

Stakeholders

  • The College of Health Sciences including multiple divisions, departments, faculties and institutes. The departments of Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, the School of Public Health, the faculties of Nursing, Pharmacy, Biomedical Engineering, ALES and the transplant and WCHRI institutes will be major partners.
  • Patients (with a patient representative included in the CVRI advisory board)
  • AHS including Edmonton hospitals and the cardiovascular PIN
  • The Heart and Stroke Foundation of 黑料不打烊 (including the “Research 2 Life” day)
  • The U of A development team, the RAH Foundation and the University Hospital Foundation
  • Partner Cardiovascular research institutes like the Stanford CVI and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute

Member benefits

  • Access to CVRI programs and cores (at discounted rates)
  • Opportunities to collaborate within CVRI and present work through the annual research day
  • Promotion of members work through a revamped website, CVRI social media and CVRI-sponsored international meetings
  • Small grants toward securing tri-council funds for the members
  • Awards and scholarships for learners

A membership renewal process will take place and information about this will be forthcoming. We should all renew our CVRI membership, and this time also provide a standardized list of research strengths, selected publications and grant funding as well as active collaborations. These will be captured for all members and featured in our website, to enhance the international image of CVRI and its appeal for international collaborations and trainees interested in working with CVRI members.

Member expectations

  • To advance knowledge creation and collaborations within CVRI
  • To acknowledge CVRI membership and support in all publications and presentations

Initial Research themes

  • CV ageing: epigenetic biomarkers of biological ageing and novel anti-ageing drugs
  • Vascular and myocardial metabolism (preclinical and clinical research)
  • Coronary disease and heart failure (preclinical and clinical research)
  • Pulmonary and systemic vascular disease (preclinical and clinical research)
  • Transplantation (ex vivo organ studies and clinical research) in partnership with the ATI
  • Cardio-oncology (preclinical and clinical research

 Forthcoming Events and Next steps

  1. CVRI Research Day: June 6, 2025 (8 am to 4 pm, Bernard Snell Hall): details on abstract deadline (May 1, 2025) and the day's events will follow soon but the program will include trainee presentations and posters, a keynote speaker, fun faculty debate sessions and short faculty presentations on clinical innovations.
  2. A team grant on metabolism and cardiovascular disease is being prepared for The Leduc Foundation (2025). This field is already a CVRI strength.
  3. A major collaborative, university-driven grant application will be prepared on blood biomarkers of biological aging and precision medicine lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions to patients that age at faster rates, for a “New Frontiers” application (2026). This should become a CVRI strength.
  4. Fundraising efforts for all CVRI themes and priorities are starting through the FOMD and U of A development team and the University Hospital Foundation.
  5. The planning of a CVRI bi-annual international meeting will be starting soon.
  6. The efforts to secure administrative space for CVRI are in process.

I look forward to working with you to achieve a shared vision and realize the exciting opportunities ahead. 

Yours,

 Evangelos