Cardiovascular Partnership Member Centres
Interactive map – select / tap listings and points.
- Aberdeen CSO
- Barts BRC
- Birmingham BRC
- Bristol
- Cambridge BHF
- Cambridge BRC
- Dundee CSO
- Edinburgh BHF/CSO
- Exeter BRC
- Glasgow CSO
- Imperial BHF
- Imperial BRC
- Leeds BHF Accelerator
- Leeds BRC
- Leicester BHF
- Leicester BRC
- King's BHF
- Manchester BHF
- Manchester BRC
- Newcastle CRF
- Oxford BHF
- Oxford BRC
- Sheffield BRC
- Southampton CRF
- UCL BHF
- UCLH BRC
University of Aberdeen (CSO Collaboration)
NIHR Barts Biomedical Research Centre
CV Theme 1: Precision Digital Health, Cardiovascular Devices and Trials
NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre
CV Theme 1: Thrombo-Inflammation
Aims
Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality and disproportionately affects ethnic minority groups and those socioeconomically deprived. The interplay between inflammation and thrombosis (thrombo-inflammation) plays a critical role in nearly all vascular and heart diseases, and represents a major target for clinical interventions. Moreover, vascular events are a significant driver of prognosis across all chronic inflammatory diseases.
We aim to improve our ability to intercede in clotting whilst avoiding excess bleeding, target underlying inflammatory processes, identify novel biomarkers of thrombo-inflammatory disease, and use artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative trial designs to translate research to better patient care.
Hypothesis 1: Platelet immune receptors are targets for novel anti-thrombotic agents.
Hypothesis 2: Inflammatory pathways offer novel intervention opportunities.
Hypothesis 3: NHS-embedded approaches enhanced with AI can drive early translation and new clinical trials.
University of Bristol (Centre with BHF Professors)
Cambridge BHF Centre of Research Excellence
CV Theme 1: Mobilising and translating discoveries from multi-omic cohorts
Aims
Serving as a data-driven discovery engine anchored in multi-omic cohorts, this theme will help inform our Centre’s priorities for experimental work (eg, Inflammation and Cardiometabolic themes) and applied health research (Applied cardiovascular health theme).
Our goal is to identify causal vascular disease factors and help translate them for patient benefit. We will realise synergies in applying shared approaches to study contrasting high-priority conditions which differ with respect to population burden, risk factor profile, and standard of care, with initial exemplars including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and cerebral small vessel disease (SVD).
CV Theme 2: Targeting inflammation in cardiovascular disease
Aims
Identification of key immune mechanisms and transforming treatment of patients with three vascular diseases with huge unmet need. Despite the fundamental role of the immune system in ASCVD, we lack safe effective immune therapies, in part from limited understanding of ASCVD mechanisms in humans. We will combine genetic risk scores with cutting-edge single-cell molecular multiomics and advanced molecular imaging to determine the molecular mechanisms of ASCVD.
Key objectives:
1) Identify immuno-inflammatory pathways causally linked to human ASCVD;
2) Develop and test new immunotherapies for ASCVD.
CV Theme 3: Advanced therapeutics for cardiac repair and regeneration
Aims
A combined cellular-molecular-materials approach for endogenous or exogenous cardiac repair and regeneration in heart failure. Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a global epidemic with prevalence of ~2%, representing a huge unmet need. Cardiomyocyte (CM) cell or advanced-RNA-based therapies represent promising treatments, but so far multiple barriers prevent their use. We will undertake a multidisciplinary and multimodal programme to develop new strategies for cardiac repair and regeneration focused on survival of grafts, electromechanical integration of new CM, new drug and RNA-based treatments for cardiac injury and CM regeneration, and new preclinical human models to test advanced therapeutics.
CV Theme 4: Cardiometabolic syndromes: Exposome and molecular mechanisms Linking Obesity, Diabetes, HFpEF, NAFLD, and NASH
Aims
Identifying molecular links between obesity, diabetes, and fibroinflammatory changes in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/Steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH), including biomarkers for disease trajectories and guiding future therapeutics.
The exposome refers to wide-angle environmental exposures encountered throughout life, from conception to death. HFpEF and NAFLD, two conditions with substantial unmet medical needs, are characterised by fibrosis and inflammation. We will determine how certain exposome components including macronutrients (lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins), environmental temperature, the intrauterine environment, and exercise intervention amplify or mitigate fibroinflammation and endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction in HFpEF and NAFLD.
NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre
CV Theme 1: Cardiovascular and Respiratory theme
Aims
This theme will investigate heart and lung diseases and how using artificial intelligence (AI) could identify patterns in data to improve diagnosis.
In this theme, we will focus on how we can:
- Use existing drugs that are proven in other diseases to treat cardiovascular and respiratory disease (known as ‘repurposing’), resulting in faster approval and wider implementation
- Use remote monitoring of patient and community-based programmes to get early patient, public and system benefits via better diagnosis, early intervention, improved uptake and reduced admissions
- Develop new drugs that are designed to treat complications of cardiovascular and respiratory disease, including lung infections and heart failure
- Combine analysis of patient records and diagnostic tests to improve prediction of disease exacerbations and prevent future events.
University of Dundee (CSO Collaboration)
Edinburgh BHF Centre of Research Excellence/CSO
CV Theme 1: Heart Diseases
Aims
Studying the regional and localised effects of cardiovascular disease within a single vascular territory is the established approach to investigating disease and the development of therapeutic interventions. We here propose innovative approaches to assess cardiovascular disease more holistically, incorporating not only multiple circulatory territories but also multiple organ systems. As a systemic disease, we need to adopt a broader inclusive perspective using the latest biomedical technological advances to understand cardiovascular disease across the body as a whole and how the heart interacts with other organs.
To achieve this, we will explore a comprehensive whole-body analysis of atherosclerotic disease progression and burden. We will simultaneously assess the immunological and neurological contributions to systemic vascular function and cardiovascular disease burden. Finally, we will explore the heart-brain axis to investigate the mechanisms of small vessel dysfunction.
We will seamlessly integrate multi-omic, clinical, translational, and experimental model approaches to achieve our ambitious agenda of systemic and systematic investigation of cardiovascular disease.
CV Theme 2: Stroke and vascular dementia
Aims
Edinburgh’s translational research on cerebral small vessel disease has defined its human clinical characteristics, brain imaging appearances, pathological correlates, and diverse outcomes, developed a novel rat model of cerebral small vessel disease, and completed the British Heart Foundation-funded pilot phase RESTART and LACI-2 randomised controlled trials.
Our research theme will support an inter-disciplinary programme
- (i) to deepen mechanistic understanding of small vessel disease, to identify and to validate systemic and organ-specific phenotypes, and to use animal models to investigate therapeutic effects seen in humans;
- (ii) to extend our scalable data-driven methods for clinical trial follow-up to small vessel disease participant identification and recruitment, and to set up an automated drug pipeline for clinical trials of vascular dementia prevention; and
- (iii) to follow RESTART and LACI-2 with definitive clinical trials in larger, broader populations with cerebral small vessel disease (such as the ASPIRING trial), including validated imaging markers to assess mechanism and monitor treatment effect on stroke, vascular dementia, vascular multi-morbidity, and many symptoms that result in disability, dependence, and the enormous global burden of cerebral small vessel disease.
CV Theme 3: Cardiometabolism
Aims
Common cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases become clinically manifest only after
decades of subclinical disease progression. Development of both macrovascular and
microvascular disease is accelerated by systemic drivers including dyslipidaemia, diabetes,
obesity, and hypertension. These diseases are determined by pathological remodelling and
dysfunction of organs and tissues remote from the vascular system, including adipose and renaltissues.
Dissection of these metabolic drivers of cardiovascular disease across the life course is the focus of this collaborative and cross-cutting theme. It exploits rich human tissue resources, sophisticated approaches to physiological studies in humans and animals, fluid connectivity of research across scales from molecules to populations and has a strong emphasis on skillstraining and interdisciplinary working.
We will address the linked issues of life course, mechanisms of pathological remodelling of remote tissues and immune-metabolic drivers of cardiovascular disease.
CV Theme 4: Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging
Aims
We have an established track record of world-leading pre-clinical and clinical cardiovascular imaging research with unrivalled imaging facilities including multiple state-of-the-art scanners.
The imaging theme will develop and support pre-clinical, translational, clinical, and multi-centre research studies and randomised controlled trials with the aim of improving the health of people with cardiovascular disease.
We will focus on key areas of the heart-brain axis, early life research to understand congenital and paediatric cardiovascular disease, and deep phenotyping of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. We will exploit the major opportunities for interdisciplinary working, inter-theme research and early career researcher development, especially with recent developments afforded by total body positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.
NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre
Aims
This BRC is a Partnership member but does not have a specific Cardiovascular research theme.
University of Glasgow (CSO Collaboration)
Imperial BHF Centre of Research Excellence
CV Theme 1: Learning from populations
Aims
Theme 1 brings together cardiovascular and molecular epidemiology, environmental exposure modelling, electronic health record research, informatics, and data science. The theme aims to leverage large longitudinal and deeply phenotyped epidemiological studies and intersectoral routinely collected data to investigate key drivers and molecular pathways related to cardiovascular disease development and heterogeneity in cardiovascular disease progression.
CV Theme 2: Learning from heart disease patients
Aims
Theme 2 aims to identify the environmental, genetic and cellular drivers of how the heart adapts during the transition from health to disease. The program brings together a diverse team of scientists and clinicians working across scales to identify treatable mechanisms of cardiac remodelling. This work bridges population-level discovery science, based on genomics and imaging, with multi-omic analysis of human cells and tissues.
CV Theme 3: Learning from resilience
Aims
Endothelial resilience refers to the remarkable ability of endothelial cells, which line the interior surface of blood vessels, to maintain functionality and adapt to various physiological challenges and stressors. These resilient cells play a pivotal role in regulating vascular tone, permeability, and inflammatory responses, thereby influencing overall cardiovascular health. Through intricate mechanisms endothelial cells exhibit resilience against factors such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and other noxious influences that harm the cardiovascular system.
Our theme will aim to explore restoring as well as enhancing endothelial resilience, which is increasingly recognised as a key therapeutic target in preventing and managing cardiovascular diseases.
Our work underscores the importance of maintaining endothelial health as a vital part of maintaining overall cardiovascular homeostasis and longevity.
CV Theme 4: Learning from remote personal monitoring
Aims
Theme 4 brings together physicians, bioengineers and computational scientists to centralise the development of devices for capturing and modelling digital markers of cardiovascular health with clinical trialists to evaluate their efficacy and impact, capitalising on near-to-real time North-West London NHS data environments.
Please see our Harnessing the power of wearable technology article in the Research Features website.
NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre
CV Theme 1: Cardiovascular
Aims
Our Theme aims to revolutionise the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by optimising personalised healthcare approaches to prevent, monitor and treat cardiovascular complications in our patients.
Our theme focuses on three strategic aims that will ultimately transform the outlook for our local patients, as well as inform global practice:
- Use novel hospital and laboratory tools to enhance cardiovascular risk stratification
- Employ innovative point-of-care and remote monitoring tools to identify patients at risk and facilitate early medical intervention
- Identify and test new treatments.
Leeds BHF Accelerator
CV Theme 1: Defining the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving cardiometabolic disease to inform drug discovery and technique development
Aims
New and effective biological therapies are required to treat cardiometabolic disease. This theme aims to identify the causal mechanisms underpinning vascular, blood and immune cell dysfunction that define cardiometabolic disease to seek innovative therapeutic targets and inform drug discovery.
Using state of the art imaging and omics technologies linked to expertise in functional cell biology, we aim to define the basis of platelet and innate immune cell hyperactivity, endothelial dysfunction and maladaptive inter-organ cross-talk.
Establishing the molecular and metabolic signatures of cells that contribute to systemic physiological responses implicated in the development cardiometabolic disease will facilitate drug development and targeted clinical interventions.
CV Theme 2: Undertaking clinical studies and trials to inform patient diagnosis and treatment options
Aims
Our aim is to improve diagnosis of cardiometabolic disorders and develop new or more effective interventions.
Early intervention is key to alleviating the complications associated with cardiometabolic disease and therefore appropriately targeted disease specific interventions are likely to be more clinically effective. Improving patient outcomes requires new and innovative diagnostic solutions. We have used our expertise in clinical trials in cardiovascular magnetic resonance to demonstrate its effectiveness in diagnosis of cardiometabolic disease.
We are driving advanced clinical studies to understand the roles of energy metabolism in the heart, examining how interventions targeting metabolic dysfunction in cardio-diabetes cohorts affects clinical outcomes, and developing personalised approaches to cardiac resynchronisation therapy
CV Theme 3: Investigating the prevalence and aetiology of cardiometabolic disease through patient data analytics and omics studies
Aims
We use healthcare and cardiac imaging data linked to deep cellular phenotyping to identify causal factors promoting cardiometabolic disease. Our expertise in data analytics allows us to exploit varied types of population and molecular data.
The theme uses of observational and randomised data to deliver population-based studies of cardiometabolic clinical outcomes and the complex patterns of multimorbidity associated with the prevalence cardiometabolic diseases. Using patient tissues and cells we use data-driven analyses, including clustering of multi-omics and other data modalities, to define novel patient phenotypes to understand mechanisms of multi-organ perturbation in cardiometabolic disease coupled with their associated clinical correlates.
Identification of shared molecular perturbations across tissues using ‘omics data will allow us to identify promising targets for biomarker and interventional trials.
NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre
CV Theme 1: Cardiometabolic
Aims
The Cardiometabolic theme looks to address the challenge of heart failure in people with diabetes and its precursors. The cardiometabolic theme aims to:
- Optimise the use of existing therapies to provide maximum benefits to high-risk patients.
- Accelerate the development of new diagnostic tools and treatment options.
Leicester BHF Centre of Research Excellence
CV Theme 1: Discovery
Aims
The Discovery theme focuses on the development of clinically useful cardiovascular prediction tools through genomic, proteomic and metabolomic discovery and phenomics. We use the resulting datasets to assess the clinical utility of polygenic risk, identify new therapeutics for cardiovascular disease and explore mechanisms of cardiovascular disease development and progression.
As a focused interdisciplinary workstream, we establish a clinical implementation framework for precision medicine, based on patient priorities and public acceptability.
CV Theme 2: Interventions
Aims
We aim to build interdisciplinary skills and capacity that transform our capabilities across the translational spectrum of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and surgery, to enable development and assessment of novel interventions that improve outcomes for patients with CVD.
CV Theme 3: Populations
Aims
Drawing on a strong interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, statisticians, data scientists, and clinicians, we will drive improved understanding of inequalities in cardio-metabolic-renal diseases and multiple long-term conditions and enable the identification of lifestyle factors to inform both prognosis and tailored preventative lifestyle interventions.
NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre
CV Theme 1: Cardiovascular
Aims
We will use advanced technologies, such as genetic testing and imaging scans, to better understand diseases, improve risk prediction and develop targeted and personalised treatments based on different disease characteristics. We aim to improve health outcomes in people with, or at risk of, a broad range of cardiovascular diseases.
We have developed two key research areas to meet these goals:
Discovery
We will study what factors lead to the likelihood of developing a cardiovascular disease, which factors make people prone to progression of the disease and whether they respond to treatment. This will allow us to better identify those at risk of both common and rare cardiovascular diseases.
Personalisation
We will develop treatment based on the different disease types and tailor healthcare for multiple long term health conditions, to improve patient outcomes, such as quality of life and increased life expectancy, for cardiovascular diseases.
We will also train the next generation of cardiovascular health research leaders.
Our theme houses state-of-the-art facilities that enable our multi-disciplinary team to conduct translational research, which means taking findings from the laboratory to the bedside. It also includes a stunning British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cardiovascular Research Centre, comprising office space, meeting rooms and state-of-the-art laboratories.
King's BHF Centre of Research Excellence
CV Theme 1: Theme 1. Novel mechanisms in HF
Aims
This theme will address the challenge of lack of translation of preclinical discovery science by employing innovative approaches such as unbiased functional screening for potential therapies, a strong focus on the use of human model systems, and cutting-edge discovery approaches using patient tissue.
CV Theme 2: Experimental medicine approaches to HF
Aims
We will tackle the challenge of ineffective translation by using innovative deep phenotyping in humans in vivo to dissect pathophysiology and test the potential of new interventions
CV Theme 3: Deconstructing ageing to reveal novel resilience targets in the heart
Aims
This theme will focus on how ageing and its hallmark mechanisms lead to HF using a combination of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies in humans and human tissues.
CV Theme 4: Developing precision clinical management of HF
Aims
We will tackle the challenge of heterogeneity of HF and lack of predictability by developing precision measures using multimodal data such as imaging, electronic health records (EHRs), biomarkers, dynamic data (e.g digital markers from wearables), and AI.
Manchester BHF Centre of Research Excellence
CV Theme 1: Genetics and Development
Aims
Cardiovascular genomics and development – focus on The Kidney in Hypertension, Congenital Heart Disease and Pharmacogenomics
CV Theme 2: Heart Failure
Aims
Bench to bedside research in heart failure
CV Theme 3: Cardio-Inflammation
Aims
Investigating the inflammatory mechanisms of cardiovascular disease in Immune Mediated Inflammatory Disease, Stroke, and Vascular Dementia
CV Theme 4: Data Science
Aims
Leveraging national and local resources to improve care, reduce health inequalities, and produce new methodological advances.
CV Theme 5: Computational Modelling / AI
Aims
Computational fluid dynamics in cardiovascular diseases; digital twins and in silico trials; large language models in cardiovascular diagnosis and therapy.
NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre
CV Theme 1: Integrative Cardiovascular Medicine
Aims
Our Integrative Cardiovascular Medicine Theme integrates common cardiovascular disease research approaches and methods in the heart, vascular system, brain and kidney, across the life course. We aim to develop new ways to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease by looking at the different forms of these disease at the molecular and cell level. We will achieve this by collecting and analysing samples from large groups of patients.
Patients are involved in all stages of the research process. Local patient panels have confirmed the need for this research and highlighted the strong desire to participate in research embedded in our region.
Our Integrative Cardiovascular Medicine Theme contains four programmes:
- Hypertension
- High cardiovascular risk conditions
- Acute coronary syndromes
- Congenital heart disease and inherited cardiac conditions
NIHR Newcastle Clinical Research Facility
Oxford BHF Centre of Research Excellence
CV Theme 1: Drug Discovery & Delivery (DD&D)
Aims
The theme will integrate new physical science methods to enable cardiovascular drug discovery and delivery technologies, with a specific focus on metabolism and immune mechanisms as fertile new areas with rapid translational potential.
CV Theme 2: Big Data and Computational Science (BD&CS)
Aims
The theme will capitalise on our capabilities in data analysis for population cardiovascular health, promoting a new focus on vascular dementia. We will work with engineers and computer scientists to extend big data techniques and artificial intelligence to ECG analysis and physical activity, and to discovery of new cardiovascular imaging techniques.
CV Theme 3: Repair & Regeneration (R&R)
Aims
This theme will develop our world-leading research and new facilities in regenerative medicine to identify new cellular mechanisms in tissue repair, biomechanical sensing and signalling, with a focus on human model systems and therapeutic targets that reach widely across disease indications, not just myocardial infarction and heart failure.
NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
CV Theme 1: Identifying and validating new therapeutic targets
Aims
This sub-theme aims to identify new drug targets – and repurposing existing drugs – that work in different patient populations, using complementary approaches: the use of big patient datasets to analyse the genetic aspects; and single-cell biology techniques using human tissue.
CV Theme 2: Applying new technologies to improve personalised prevention and management of CVD
Aims
The overarching aim of this sub-theme is to use cutting-edge technology to develop highly accurate non-invasive methods of diagnosing CVD, where currently it has had to be achieved through invasive procedures.
This includes state-of-the-art imaging techniques, such as our new photon-counting CT scanner; developing new radiotranscriptomic platforms and artificial intelligence systems to identify cytokine-driven vascular inflammation from routine CT images; or better understanding the genetic factors that increase the risk of inherited heart conditions.
CV Theme 3: Addressing maternal cardiovascular risk
Aims
We are bringing together our strengths in population health and discovery science to address the leading cause of death during and after pregnancy in the UK: acquired CVD. Drawing on our work across the theme, we are aiming to understand which mothers are at greatest risk of developing CVD in future, what interventions might reduce that risk, and which new therapies have the potential to translate into use in the NHS after clinical trials.
NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre
CV Theme 1: Cardiovascular Disease Theme
Aims
The University of Sheffield is a world-leading research centre for cardiovascular disease, with a focus on atherothrombosis, pulmonary artery hypertension and neurovascular disease. The Cardiovascular Disease Theme of the NIHR Sheffield BRC will exploit exciting lab-based discoveries and early-stage clinical findings to develop novel clinical research programmes.
Our research will improve the quality of life and prognosis of people with coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease and pulmonary vascular disease through enhanced pharmacological therapies, novel device interventions, remote monitoring and the personalisation of treatment supported by biomarker analysis, digital systems and clinical care algorithms. It is key that we extend these benefits to populations with a high burden of cardiovascular disease through the engagement of patients and the public in large-scale research studies, enhanced publicity surrounding local research activities and results, and the development of primary care networks in areas with high levels of social deprivation
To address this huge national and local burden of disease, we bring together key research and clinical strengths in subthemes of coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease and pulmonary vascular disease.
NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility
UCL BHF Centre of Research Excellence
CV Theme 1: Therapeutic Innovation in Rare and Inherited CVD
Aims
Our goal is to create a human and technical resource that enables therapeutic innovation in rare and inherited cardiovascular conditions (RICC).
Approximately 1 in 17 people (3.5 million in the UK) will be affected by a rare disease during their lives and data suggest that the health burden of rare and inherited cardiovascular conditions (RICC) is substantial and underestimated. UCL is a recognised leader in the development of therapies, devices, and diagnostics. Furthermore, UCL is a leader in cell and gene therapy, running 46% of all academic and 39% of all industry sponsored UK clinical trials.
This theme will combine these resources with our unique RICC cohorts to accelerate therapeutic innovation, by creating a human and technical resource that enables therapeutic innovation in rare and inherited cardiovascular conditions (RICC).
The theme will leverage UCL stratified patient cohorts and stored biomaterials to enable rapid recruitment into experimental and proof of principle studies of potential therapies in the preclinical phase and will generate validated outcome measures that can be used in early and late phase studies.
CV Theme 2: Engineered Solutions for Structural and Congenital Heart Disease
Aims
Our goal is to improve the way we diagnose and treat structural and congenital heart diseases, using computer science and engineering technologies.
Congenital heart disease affects 1 in 100 children and costs the UK an estimated £1.8bn every year and structural cardiovascular disease (e.g. aortic stenosis and aneurysms) significantly adds to ill health in our ageing population.
Treatment of these diseases is mainly physical (e.g. surgery or percutaneous device placement) and new therapeutic approaches often arise through the application of engineering and computer sciences.
This theme will focus on:
- Better Diagnosis, by accelerating image acquisition and processing, and by improving visualisation through Virtual Reality and new 3D imaging techniques;
- Better Simulation, by leveraging Machine Learning image processing, computational modelling and 3D printing to robustly predict a patient’s response to percutaneous or surgical therapies; and
- Better Treatment, by developing patient specific device designs, and robotic surgery and catheterisation.
CV Theme 3: Heart and Brain
Aims
Our goal is to create a transformative cross-disciplinary research collaborative in heart-brain science by developing and applying innovative methodologies and initiating new therapeutic strategies.
The Heart & Brain theme focuses on the links between diseases of the heart and circulation, and brain health.
Diseases of the heart and brain frequently occur together and share common causes. This theme is very topical, since new drugs are set to revolutionise management of dementia. We need to understand how and when to best use these drugs, and their effects on the heart and blood vessels supplying the brain.
We will also study how the brain affects heart health. Specifically, we will study the role of the autonomic nervous system in hypertension, heart failure and disorders of heart rhythm (arrhythmias) that can lead to sudden death.
CV Theme 4: Ethnicity and Cardiometabolic Health
Aims
Our goal is to address socioeconomic disadvantage in relation to cardiometabolic health.
There are marked ethnic and socioeconomic differences in risks and outcomes of cardiometabolic disease. We will identify opportunities for enhanced population-level prevention across the life course, and for optimised individual treatment to redress inequalities.
This will be achieved by capacity building investment in researchers spanning biomedical, social and data sciences, harnessing and enhancing novel data platforms and technology, and partnering with patients and the public in co-creation of aetiological and translational research.
NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre
CV Theme 1: Cardiovascular Diseases
Aims
For the next 5 years our theme has identified the following key strategic and scientific aims:
- Harness ‘omics, electrophysiology, imaging, and artificial intelligence (AI) expertise we aim to better predict, prevent, diagnose, and treat CVD in the context of multimorbidity and socioeconomic and demographic drivers
- Interrogate genotype-phenotype relationships to generate predictive markers; validate therapeutic targets for drug development and repurposing;
- Develop diagnostic and interventional devices to support patient care.
- Tackle high failure rates in R&D; transition robust innovations from research to care settings; address needs of an ageing population; and support development of future research leaders.
These aims will be delivered through three sub-themes:
- Prediction, prevention and screening; developing better risk prediction models using electronics health records, genomics and other ‘omics; improving screening for rare inherited disorders.
- Precision diagnostics and disease stratification; using next generation imaging methods to characterise disease; harnessing AI to improve throughput, diagnostic accuracy and support risk prediction; linking molecular pathology with images to create new diagnostics, to translate and disseminate globally via partnership with industry and SMEs.
- De-risking cardiovascular drug and device development through genomics, engineering, imaging, and computational modelling.