Division of Cardiovascular Diseases

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), one of 27 institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), leads a national program in the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and blood; in sleep disorders; and in the uses of blood and blood resources. The Institute is responsible for research on three of the four leading causes of death in the United States—heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Through research in its laboratories and through extramural funding of investigator- and institute-initiated research grants and contracts, it conducts and supports scientific research that includes basic investigations, clinical studies, epidemiological studies, clinical trials, technology development and transfer, and demonstration and education projects. The Institute also supports research training and career development awards.

PURPOSE OF THE DIVISION

The Division of Cardiovascular Diseases (DCVD) provides leadership for a national and international extramural program in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) that integrates basic science and clinical research, including translational research, networks, and multicenter clinical trials. It designs, conducts, supports, and oversees research on the causes and prevention and treatment of diseases and disorders such as atherothrombosis; coronary artery disease (CAD); myocardial infarction and ischemia; heart failure; arrhythmia; sudden cardiac death; adult and pediatric congenital heart disease; cardiovascular complications of diabetes and obesity; and hypertension. It also supports and oversees research in vascular medicine and biologyand valvular, cerebral, renal, peripheral, and other cardiovascular disorders .  The DCVD fosters biotechnological research in genomics, proteomics, nanotechnology, imaging, device development, cell- and tissue-based therapeutics, and gene therapy, and in their uses as they relate to CVD.  It also supports training and career development programs in cardiovascular research at all educational levels from high school students to academic faculty, including programs for individuals from diverse populations.

The DCVD has five Branches, the Advanced Technologies & Surgery Branch, the Atherothrombosis & Coronary Artery Disease Branch, the Heart Development & Structural Diseases Branch, the Heart Failure & Arrhythmias Branch, the Vascular Biology & Hypertension Branch, and the Office of Research Training & Career Development.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES & SURGERY

The Advanced Technologies and Surgery Branch conducts and manages an integrated basic and clinical research program to study innovative and developing technologies for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of CVD. It promotes opportunities to translate promising scientific and technological advances from discovery through pre-clinical studies to clinical trials. Areas supported by the Branch include:

• Diagnostics: proteomic, genomic, and other biomarker technologies and imaging modalities/agents to identify CVD and guide therapy.
• Therapeutics: tissue, cell-, and gene-based/guided therapies; regenerative and reparative medicine; and devices for circulatory and cardiac support and repair.
• Surgery: improved surgical and image-guided approaches and evidence-based clinical research to advance promising new cardiovascular therapies, technologies, and surgical practices into clinical use.
• Enabling Technologies: bioinformatics, computational and systems biology, bioengineering, nanotechnology, materials research, and personalized medicine.

Denis Buxton, Ph.D., Branch Chief
E-mail: buxtond@mail.nih.gov
301-435-0513

ATHEROTHROMBOSIS & CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

The Atherothrombosis and Coronary Artery Disease Branch conducts and manages an integrated basic and clinical research program to study the etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of CAD and atherothrombosis. It is responsible for translating promising scientific and technological advances from discovery through preclinical studies to networks and multisite clinical trials. Areas addressed by the Branch include:

• Atherothrombosis: initiation, progression, and regression of atherosclerotic lesions in coronary arteries and other arterial beds; lesion instability and thrombosis; risk factor mechanisms; interaction of lipid fractions and other systemic and humoral factors with the arterial wall; biomarker and imaging diagnostics to quantify atherosclerotic disease and its progression; vulnerable plaques and vulnerable patients; and diabetes, obesity, other metabolic disorders, and diet and exercise related to atherothrombosis.
• Coronary Artery Disease: acute and chronic coronary syndromes including myocardial infarction, acute ischemia and related events, angina, and silent ischemia; and percutaneous and surgical revascularization of stenotic and re-stenotic coronary lesions.

Michael Domanski, M.D., Branch Chief
E-mail: domanskimj@mail.nih.gov
301-435-0339

HEART DEVELOPMENT & STRUCTURAL DISEASES

The Heart Development and Structural Disease Branch conducts and manages an integrated basic and clinical research program to study normal and abnormal cardiovascular development. It is also responsible for overseeing research related to the etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric and adult structural heart disease. The Branch is a focal point for coordination of activities and development of educational materials related to clinical research on pediatric CVD within the NHLBI and the NIH . It promotes opportunities to translate promising scientific and technological advances from discovery through preclinical studies to network and multisite clinical trials. Areas supported by the Branch include:

• Heart Development: normal and abnormal cardiovascular development, molecular and genetic etiology of cardiovascular malformations, cardiomyogenic differentiation of stem cells, and gene-environment interactions in development of congenital heart disease.
• Structural Disease: congenital heart disease from embryology through adulthood, valve disease and determinants of degeneration, myocardial response to valvular disease, neurodevelopmental outcome in congenital heart disease, exercise physiology in congenital heart disease, pediatric cardiomyopathy and heart transplantation, and pediatric cardiac inflammation and infection.

Gail Pearson M.D., Sc.D., Branch Chief
E-mail: pearsong@mail.nih.gov
301-435-0510

HEART FAILURE & ARRHYTHMIAS

The Heart Failure and Arrhythmias Branch conducts and manages an integrated basic and clinical research program to study normal cardiac function and pathogenesis to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of heart failure and arrhythmias. It promotes opportunities to translate promising scientific and technological advances from discovery through preclinical studies to multisite and network clinical trials. Areas supported by the Branch include:

• Heart Failure: devices and medical and cell-based therapies targeting heart failure, myocardial protection, and pathogenesis and treatment of heart failure and cardiomyopathies.
• Arrhythmias: arrhythmogenesis, genetic and environmental bases of normal cardiac electrical activity and arrhythmias, etiology of rare and common arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death.
• Myocardial Protection: myocardial preconditioning, amelioration and prevention of myocardial stunning and hibernation, and protection from ischemic/reperfusion injury.
• Resuscitation Science: mechanisms and management of clinical and experimental pathophysiologic states of whole body oxygen deprivation; systemic hypovolemia and resulting multi-organ failure; organ preservation; and cell, tissue, and organ protection during cardiac arrest and traumatic shock.

Alice Mascette, M.D., Branch Chief
E-mail: mascetta@mail.nih.gov
301-435-0504

VASCULAR BIOLOGY & HYPERTENSION

The Vascular Biology and Hypertension Branch conducts and manages an integrated basic and clinical, extramural, research program to investigate vascular biology and the etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hypertension and vascular diseases. It promotes opportunities to translate promising scientific and technological advances from discovery through preclinical studies to networks and multisite clinical trials. Areas supported by the Branch include:

• Vascular Biology: biology of the vascular wall; vascular biology (related to hypertension; cerebrovascular, renal, and peripheral vascular disease; aneurysms; and lymphatic diseases); development of arteries, veins, lymphatics, and microcirculation; and angiogenesis.
• Vascular Medicine: cerebrovascular, renal, and peripheral vascular disease; and aneurysms.
• Hypertension: blood pressure regulation including central, renal, and vascular control; and cerebrovascular disease resulting from high blood pressure.

H. Eser Tolunay, Ph. D.; Acting Branch Chief
E-mail: tolunaye@nhlbi.nih.gov
301-435-0560

OFFICE OF RESEARCH TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT

The Office of Research Training and Career Development supports training and career development programs in cardiovascular research, offering opportunities to individuals at all educational levels from high school students to academic faculty, including programs for individuals from diverse populations. The programs promote opportunities for investigators, early in their research careers and under mentorship from senior scientists, to perform basic, preclinical or clinical cardiovascular research and to take emerging and promising scientific and technological advances from discovery through preclinical and clinical studies. The Office also collaborates with the scientific community and professional organizations to ensure that training programs meet both the current and future needs of the cardiovascular research workforce. Programs supported by the Office include:

• Institutional and individual research training programs and fellowships for training of promising cardiovascular scientists at the predoctoral, postdoctoral, junior faculty, and established investigator levels.
• Diversity Supplements to ongoing research grants for support of young investigators from diverse backgrounds, from the high school to the junior faculty level .
• The Pathway to Independence Program, which allows the recipient to bridge the gap between a career development award and a research award.
• Career development programs specifically designed for clinical research or for minority researchers and institutions.

Jane D. Scott, Sc.D., M.S.N., F.A.H.A, Director
E-mail: scottj@mail.nih.gov
301-435-0535

For further information contact:

Division of Cardiovascular Diseases
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Two Rockledge Center - Suite 9160
6701 Rockledge Dr. - MSC 7940
Bethesda, MD 20892-7940

Additional phone numbers are available in the Abbreviated Staff Directory.