Ó³»­´«Ã½

To identify and develop therapeutics for cardiovascular disease, we first need to understand the cellular and molecular changes that occur in the diseased heart. In the CVDi, we generate large-scale human-focused datasets that can be used to further understand disease biology and to identify genes and pathways that could be used for therapeutic development, biomarkers, and diagnostic tools. 

Our researchers and their collaborators use a combination of:

• -omics
• high content imaging
• gene editing
• specialized cellular models and functional readouts
• animal models 

to generate and test hypotheses and validate potential therapeutic targets identified through genetic studies, with the ultimate goal of finding treatments for heart disease.

Current work includes:

• In collaboration with Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Center for the Development of Therapeutics (CDoT), carrying out high throughput perturbation screens on genes identified in large genetic association studies or other human datasets, using key cell types found in the heart
• Understanding the cell type-specific transcriptional and epigenetic changes that occur in relevant cell types in the diseased human heart
• Developing and using complex in vitro and in vivo models to test the effects of manipulating genes and pathways on cell and tissue function
• Assessing and validating genes and targets of interest in in vitro disease models, using iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, primary fibroblasts, and vascular smooth muscle cells

The Precision Cardiology Laboratory

The goal of the PCL was to generate high-resolution, single cell maps from human tissue samples and preclinical animal models in health and disease, so as to broaden our understanding of underlying disease mechanisms and facilitate the development of new therapeutic interventions. The PCL brought Ó³»­´«Ã½â€™s innovative methods for basic scientific discovery and the clinical expertise of its practicing physician/researchers together with Bayer’s long history of drug discovery and development. Physically located at the Ó³»­´«Ã½, the PCL brought scientists from the Ó³»­´«Ã½ and Bayer together to work toward a shared scientific vision.