2. Program Overview
The National Heart Institute (NHI) was established in
1948 through the National Heart Act with a mission to support research and
training in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases
(CVD). Twenty-four years laterthrough section 413 of the National
Heart, Blood Vessel, Lung, and Blood Act (P.L. 92-423)Congress mandated
the Institute to expand and coordinate its activities in an accelerated attack
against heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases. The renamed
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) expanded its scientific areas
of interest and intensified its efforts related to research on diseases within
its purview. Over the years, the Institute's areas of interest have grown
to encompass genetic, genomic, and proteomic research; systems biology; sleep
disorders; and the Women's Health Initiative (WHI).
The NHLBI provides global leadership for a research,
training, and education program to promote the prevention and treatment of
heart, lung, and blood diseases and enhance the health of all individuals so
that they can live longer and more fulfilling lives.
The NHLBI stimulates basic discoveries about the
causes of disease, enables the translation of basic discoveries into clinical
practice, fosters training and mentoring of emerging scientists and physicians,
and communicates research advances to the public. It creates and supports
a robust, collaborative research infrastructure in partnership with private and
public organizations, including academic institutions, industry, and other
government agencies. The Institute collaborates with patients, families,
health care professionals, scientists, professional societies, patient advocacy
groups, community organizations, and the media to promote the application of
research results and leverage resources to address the health needs of the
public. The NHLBI also collaborates with international organizations to
help reduce the burden of heart, lung, and blood diseases worldwide.
Each year, the NHLBI assesses progress in the
scientific areas for which it is responsible and updates its goals and
objectives. As new opportunities are identified, the Institute expands
and revises its areas of interest. Throughout the process, the approach
used by the Institute is an orderly sequence of research activities that
includes:
- Acquisition of knowledge
- Evaluation of knowledge
- Application of knowledge
- Dissemination of knowledge
NHLBI Programs
The programs of the NHLBI, as shown in the following
table, are implemented through five extramural units:
- Division of Cardiovascular Diseases (DCVD)
- Division of Lung Diseases (DLD)
- Division of Blood Diseases and Resources (DBDR)
- Division of Prevention and Population Sciences
(DPPS)
- Division for the Application of Research
Discoveries (DARD)
and one intramural unit:
- Division of Intramural Research (DIR)
The extramural divisions use a variety of funding
mechanisms, such as individual research project grants, cooperative agreements,
program project grants, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, Small
Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants, Specialized Centers of Clinically
Oriented Research (SCCOR) grants, comprehensive center grants, contracts, and
research training and career development programs.
Descriptions of the Divisions follow.
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Programs Supported by the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute |
|
Advanced Technologies and
Surgery Diagnostics Development Emerging
Therapeutics Enabling Technologies Surgery Advances
Atherothrombosis and Coronary
Artery Disease Acute and Chronic Coronary
Syndromes Acute and Silent Ischemia Angina Atherothrombosis
Coronary Artery Disease Myocardial Infarction Revascularization
Heart Developmental and
Structural Disease Adult Congenital
Disease Cardiac Immunology and Infection Cardiovascular Development
Heart Transplantation Pediatric Cardiovascular Disease Valvular Heart
Disease
Heart Failure and
Arrhythmias Arrhythmias Heart Failure Myocardial
Protection Resuscitation Sudden Cardiac Death
Vascular Biology and
Hypertension Aneurysms Cerebrovascular Disease
Hypertension Lymphatic Diseases Peripheral Vascular Disease Renal
Vascular Disease Vascular Biology Vascular Development and
Angiogenesis
Airway Biology and
Disease Asthma Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease (COPD) and Environmental Lung Diseases Cystic
Fibrosis (CF) Genetics, Genomics, and Biotechnology |
Lung Biology and
Disease Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome (AIDS) and Tuberculosis (TB) Critical Care and
Acute Lung Injury Developmental Biology and Pediatric Lung
Disease Immunology and Fibrosis Lung Cell and Vascular Biology
National Center on Sleep
Disorders Research Sleep Disorders and Related
Conditions Ventilatory Control
|
Blood Diseases and
Resources |
Blood Diseases
Anemias Erythropoiesis Malaria Red Cells Sickle Cell Disease
(SCD) Thalassemia
Thrombosis and
Hemostasis Hematologic Immune Disorders Hemophilia and
Other Bleeding Disorders Hemostasis Immunity and Inflammation
Thrombosis
Transfusion Medicine and
Cellular Therapeutics Hematopoietic Stem Cell
Transplantation Immune Deficiencies, Reconstitution,
Response, and Tolerance Myelodysplasia, Marrow Failure, and
Myeloproliferative Disorders Novel Cellular Therapies for
Repair and Regeneration Stem Cell Biology Transfusion
Medicine Use, Safety, and Availability of Blood and Blood
Components
|
Prevention and
Population Sciences |
Clinical Applications and
Prevention Behavioral Medicine Prevention of
Cardiovascular Disorders Obesity Health Outcomes |
Epidemiology
Analytical Resources Field Studies and Clinical Epidemiology Genetic
Epidemiology
Women's Health
Initiative Hormone Therapy Trial Dietary Modification
Trial Calcium and Vitamin D Trial Observational Study Memory
Study
|
Application of
Research Discoveries |
Research Translation Branch
Research Translation Research Opportunities
Identification Clinical Guidelines Clinical Support and
Implementation Applications Knowledge Exchange Networks
Enhanced Dissemination and
Utilization Branch Research
Dissemination Research Utilization Data Analysis and Evaluation
Clinical Research
Cardiothoracic Surgery Hematology Pulmonary and Vascular Medicine
Translational Medicine
Laboratory Research
Biochemistry and Biophysics Cell Biology and Physiology Genetics
and Development Biology Immunology |
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Division of Cardiovascular
Diseases
The DCVD supports research on the causes, diagnosis,
prevention, and treatment of CVD through an integrated program of basic and
clinical research, including translational research, networks, and multicenter
clinical trials. Research funded by the Division is allocated among
investigator- and Institute-initiated grants and contracts in disease areas
such as atherothrombosis, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction and
ischemia, heart failure, arrhythmia, sudden cardiac death, adult and pediatric
congenital heart disease, cardiovascular complications of diabetes and obesity,
and hypertension. The DCVD fosters biotechnological research in genomics,
proteomics, nanotechnology, imaging, device development, cell- and tissue-based
therapeutics, gene therapy, and the development of advanced technologies,
including technologies for surgery. SCCORs support clinical collaborative
research in cardiac dysfunction and disease; pediatric heart development and
disease; and vascular injury, repair, and remodeling.
The Division is organized into the five Branches and
one Office described below.
Advanced Technologies and Surgery Branch
The Advanced Technologies and Surgery Branch supports
integrated basic and clinical research to develop technologies for the
diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of CVD. Research on diagnostics
focuses on proteomic, genomic, and other biomarker technologies and on imaging
modalities and agents. Therapeutics research focuses on tissue-, cell-,
and gene-based therapies; regenerative and reparative medicine; image-guided
therapies; and cardiac and circulatory support and repair devices.
Research related to surgery addresses improved surgical and image-guided
therapies and the translation of cardiovascular surgical advances into clinical
practice. Enabling technologies research includes bioinformatics,
computational and systems biology, bioengineering, nanotechnology, materials
research, and personalized medicine.
Atherothrombosis and Coronary Artery Disease
Branch
The Atherothrombosis and Coronary Artery Disease
Branch supports integrated basic and clinical research on the etiology,
pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of coronary artery disease
and atherothrombosis. Research on coronary artery disease focuses on
acute and chronic coronary syndromes, including myocardial infarction; acute
ischemia, angina, and silent ischemia; and percutaneous and surgical
revascularization of stenotic and restenotic coronary lesions.
Atherothrombosis research investigates atherosclerotic lesions in coronary
arteries and other arterial beds; lipid fractions and interactions with the
arterial wall; lesion instability, vulnerable plaques, and thrombosis; and
biomarker and imaging diagnostics to quantify plaque and atherosclerosis
progression. Atherothrombosis research also includes studies of diet,
exercise, diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic conditions related to
atherothrombosis.
Heart Development and Structural Diseases Branch
The Heart Development and Structural Diseases Branch
supports integrated basic and clinical research on normal and abnormal
cardiovascular development and the etiology, pathogenesis, prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric and adult structural heart disease.
Research areas in heart development include normal and abnormal development,
molecular and genetic etiology of cardiovascular malformations, cardiomyogenic
differentiation of stem cells, and geneenvironment interactions in the
development of congenital heart disease. Structural disease research
includes the investigation of congenital heart disease, from embryology through
adulthood, and the associated exercise physiology and neurodevelopmental
outcomes; valve disease; pediatric cardiomyopathy and heart transplantation;
and pediatric cardiac inflammation and infection.
Heart Failure and Arrhythmias Branch
The Heart Failure and Arrhythmias Branch supports
integrated basic and clinical research on normal and abnormal cardiac function
to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of heart failure and
arrhythmias and to protect the myocardium and manage resuscitation. Heart
failure research addresses the pathogenesis and treatment of heart failure and
cardiomyopathies, including the use of devices, medical treatments, and
cell-based therapies. Arrhythmias research investigates the etiology of
rare and common arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death, and arrhythmogenesis and
explores the genetic and environmental bases of normal cardiac electrical
activity. Myocardium protection research focuses on stunning and
hibernation, ischemic/reperfusion injury, and preconditioning.
Resuscitation research includes the study of whole-body oxygen deprivation;
organ preservation; and cell, tissue, and organ protection during cardiac
arrest and traumatic shock.
Vascular Biology and Hypertension Branch
The Vascular Biology and Hypertension Branch supports
integrated basic and clinical research on the etiology, pathogenesis,
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hypertension and vascular
diseases. Vascular biology focuses on the biology of the vascular wall
and its role in hypertension; cerebrovascular, renal, lymphatic, aneurysmal,
and peripheral vascular disease; the development of arteries, veins,
lymphatics, and microcirculation; and angiogenesis. Hypertension research
includes the study of blood pressure regulationincluding central, renal,
and vascular controland cerebrovascular disease resulting from high blood
pressure.
Office of Research Training and Career
Development
The Office of Research Training and Career Development
provides opportunities for people at a variety of educational levels, from high
school students to academic faculty, to pursue and build careers in
cardiovascular research. It collaborates with the scientific community
and professional organizations to ensure that its programs meet the needs of
young scientists from diverse backgrounds. Activities include
institutional and individual research training programs and fellowships,
diversity supplements to provide mentored experiences with established research
scientists, the Pathway to Independence Program that allows recipients to
bridge the gap between a career development award and a research award, and
career development programs designed for clinical research.
Division of Lung Diseases
The DLD supports research on the causes, diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of lung diseases and sleep disorders. Research
is funded through investigator- and Institute-initiated grants and contracts in
disease areas such as asthma, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, COPD, CF,
sleep-disordered breathing, critical care and acute lung injury, developmental
biology and pediatric pulmonary diseases, immunologic and fibrotic pulmonary
disease, rare lung disorders, pulmonary vascular disease, and pulmonary
complications of AIDS and tuberculosis. SCCORs support collaborative
studies on COPD, pulmonary vascular disease, and host factors in chronic lung
diseases.
The Division also supports demonstration and
dissemination projects to transfer basic research and clinical findings to
health care professionals and patients, and training and career development
programs for individuals interested in furthering their professional abilities
in lung diseases research. The DLD, through the National Center on Sleep
Disorders Research, coordinates sleep research activities across the NIH, other
Federal Agencies, and outside organizations.
The Division is organized into the three Branches
described below.
Airway Biology and Disease Branch
The Airway Biology and Disease Branch supports basic
and clinical research and research training in asthma, COPD, CF, and airway
function in health and disease. The Branch supports innovative genetics,
genomics, and biotechnology programs to advance discovery of lung disease risk
factors, mechanisms, and treatment. It also funds applied studies to
develop new methods of lung imaging. Additionally, the Branch focuses on
health education research and demonstration and education projects for the
management of asthma and COPD.
Asthma research investigates the origins,
pathogenesis, and management of asthma, including the role of immunologic and
nonimmunologic events and inflammation in its pathogenesis; the genetics of
asthma and atopy; airway remodeling and repair in asthma; the mechanisms of
severe asthma; and the regulation of mucous hypersecretion and mucous cell
metaplasia.
Research on COPD and other diseases of the lung
related to smoking or environmental exposures explores pathogenetic mechanisms
involved in the development and progression of COPD, emphysema, and lung
disease associated with alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency; genetic determinants of
lung disease; management of COPD; and properties and health effects of air
pollution.
Research on CF focuses on the function of the CF
transmembrane conductance regulator and its role in lung disease. Areas
of interest include airway epithelial ion transport, airway surface liquids,
animal and cellular models for CF, signaling pathways in airway cells,
regulation of mucin expression and secretion, development and clinical testing
of treatments, and mechanisms underlying the infectious and inflammatory
aspects of CF lung disease.
Lung Biology and Disease Branch
The Lung Biology and Disease Branch supports basic,
translational, and clinical research and research training programs in
pulmonary conditions associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS,
tuberculosis, acute lung injury and critical care medicine, lung development
and pediatric lung diseases, lung immunobiology and interstitial lung diseases,
lymphangioleiomyomatosis, and lung cell and vascular biology. In
addition, it supports the development of tuberculosis curricula for medical
schools.
AIDS and tuberculosis research focuses on the course
of pulmonary manifestations of HIV infection and tuberculosis. Emphasis
is on identifying lung complications associated with HIV infection and
characterizing the lung microbiome in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected
individuals.
Research on acute lung injury and critical care
medicine explores the pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention of acute lung
injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The Branch
supports development of new diagnostic tools for detection of acute lung injury
and development of an artificial lung and oversees clinical studies of
therapies for ARDS, including the ARDS Network.
Research in developmental biology and pediatric
pulmonary diseases investigates the regulation of lung development, growth, and
repair and focuses on pediatric pulmonary diseases in infants and children,
including bronchopulmonary dysplasia and persistent pulmonary hypertension of
the newborn. Research also focuses on identification of lung progenitor
stem cells and exploration of lung cell-based therapy.
Research on immunology and fibrosis includes studies
of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, occupational and environmental
lung diseases, and the role of immune response and inflammation in these
diseases. The Branch also supports research on lung immunobiology, lung
transplantation, and pathogenesis of lymphangioleiomyomatosis.
Lung cell and vascular biology research investigates
lung cell biology and function and pulmonary vascular disease, including
pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary embolism diagnosis.
Research focuses on pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells, vascular endothelial
cells, and the lung surfactant system. The Branch also performs research
on the regulation of barrier function of pulmonary endothelial cells and
regulation of lung permeability.
National Center on Sleep Disorders Research
The National Center on Sleep Disorders Research
(NCSDR) supports research, health education, and research training related to
sleep-disordered breathing and the fundamental function of sleep and circadian
rhythms. Specific areas of interest include neurobiology of ventilatory
control, respiratory rhythmogenesis, chemosensitivity, basic neurobiology of
sleepwake regulation, circadian-coupled cellular function, and effects of
sleep deprivation. The NCSDR also stewards several forums, including the
Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board and the Trans-NIH Sleep Research
Coordinating Committee, that facilitate the coordination of sleep research
across the NIH and with other Federal Agencies and outside organizations.
The Center participates in translation of new sleep research findings for
dissemination to health care professionals and the public.
Division of Blood Diseases and
Resources
The DBDR supports research on the causes, diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of nonmalignant blood diseases, including anemias,
SCD, and thalassemia; premalignant processes such as myelodysplasia and
myeloproliferative disorders; hemophilia and other abnormalities of hemostasis
and thrombosis; and immune dysfunction. Funding encompasses a broad
spectrum of research ranging from basic biology to medical management of blood
diseases. SCCORs and other specialized centers support collaborative
research in hemostatic and thrombotic diseases, transfusion biology and
medicine, SCD, and cell-based therapy for blood diseases. The Division
also has a major responsibility to improve the adequacy and safety of the
Nation's blood supply. It has a leading role in applying scientific
advances in transfusion medicine and stem cell biology to the development of
new cell-based therapies to repair and regenerate human tissues and organs.
The Division is organized into the three Branches
described below.
Blood Diseases Branch
The Blood Diseases Branch supports research and
research training in blood diseases, including SCD, thalassemia, Fanconi
anemia, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, and other aplastic anemias and malaria.
Additionally, it supports outcomes-related research. Research in SCD and
thalassemia focuses on elucidating the etiology and pathophysiology of the
diseases and improving disease treatment and management. Areas of
emphasis include genetics, regulation of hemoglobin synthesis, iron chelation,
development of drugs to increase fetal hemoglobin production, hematopoietic
transplantation, and gene therapy. Basic and translational red cell
research are also areas of interest.
Thrombosis and Hemostasis Branch
The Thrombosis and Hemostasis Branch supports research
and research training in hemostasis, thrombosis, and endothelial cell biology,
including basic research, clinical studies, and technology development.
Areas of interest include hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, and immune
disorders such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, thrombotic
thrombocytopenic purpura, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Research on
bleeding disorders focuses on identifying effective treatments. Emerging
areas of interest are gene transfer; clinical proteomics; inflammation and
thrombosis; stroke; coagulation activation; autoimmune disease; and thrombotic
complications of obesity, diabetes, and cancer.
The Branch also supports research on the pathogenesis
of arterial and venous thrombosis to improve the diagnosis, prevention, and
treatment of thrombosis in heart attack, stroke, and peripheral vascular
diseases. A major goal is to find additional platelet inhibitors,
anticoagulants, and fibrinolytic agents to treat thrombotic and thromboembolic
disorders with better specificity and fewer side effects than those currently
used for treatment.
Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapeutics
Branch
The Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapeutics
Branch supports research and research training in transfusion medicine, stem
cell biology and disease, hematopoiesis, clinical cellular medicine, and blood
supply adequacy and safety. Research focuses on the use, safety, and
availability of blood and blood components for transfusion and cellular
therapies. Research areas include transmission of disease, noninfectious
complications of transfusions, immunobiology, cell biology and disease, novel
cell-based therapies, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and overall
product availability. The Branch develops programs for basic and clinical
research related to normal and abnormal cellular biology and pathology.
It also collaborates with governmental, private sector, and international
organizations to improve the safety and availability of the global supply of
blood and blood components.
Division of Prevention and
Population Sciences
The DPPS supports and provides leadership for
population- and clinic-based research on the causes, prevention, and clinical
care of cardiovascular, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders.
Research includes a broad array of epidemiological studies to describe disease
and risk factor patterns in populations and to identify risk factors for
disease; clinical trials of interventions to prevent disease; studies of
genetic, behavioral, sociocultural, and environmental influences on disease
risk and outcomes; and studies of the application of prevention and treatment
strategies to improve clinical care and public health. The Division also
supports training and career development in these areas of research.
The Division is organized into the three Branches and
one Office described below.
Clinical Applications and Prevention Branch
The Clinical Applications and Prevention Branch
supports, designs, and conducts research and supports training on behavioral,
environmental, clinical, and health care approaches to reduce the occurrence
and consequences of CVD. Prevention research examines the effectiveness
of interventions to slow or halt risk factor or disease development or
progression. Interventions many of which focus on high-risk
individuals and populationsinclude medications, behavioral strategies,
and environmental change. Studies to examine lifestyle, nutrition and
exercise, psychological and sociocultural factors, and environmental and
genetic influences relevant to prevention are supported. Also supported
is clinical application research to examine approaches to improve health care
delivery and patient outcomes. Studies include clinical and community
trials and observational studies.
Epidemiology Branch
The Epidemiology Branch supports, designs, and
conducts research and supports research training in the epidemiology of
cardiovascular, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders. Studies are
conducted to identify temporal trends and population patterns in the
prevalence, incidence, morbidity, and mortality from the diseases and include
single- and multicenter observational epidemiologic studies of development,
progression, and treatment of cardiovascular, lung, and blood diseases and
sleep disorders. Areas of emphasis include environmental, lifestyle,
physiological, and genetic risk factors for disease and risk factor development
including characterization of genegene and geneenvironment
interactions. Large cohorts of minority participants, such as Hispanics
and blacks, have been assembled to explore health disparities in
minorities. The Branch also distributes data from eligible NHLBI studies
to researchers through a process that adheres to guidelines for the protection
of participant privacy and confidentiality.
Womens Health Initiative Branch
The Womens Health Initiative Branchin
collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute
of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the National
Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke (NINDS), and the Office of Research on Womens Health
(ORWH)supports clinical trials and observational studies to improve the
understanding of the causes and prevention of major diseases affecting the
health of women. Current studies focus on CVD, cancer, and
fractures. Large multicenter observational studies seek to identify risk
markers for disease or to better quantify known markers using questionnaires,
clinical examinations, and laboratory data. The large and long-term
multicenter clinical trials test promising but unproven interventionssuch
as hormone therapy, diet, and supplementsto prevent major diseases and
evaluate overall effects on health. The Branch has established an
infrastructure to support the use of data and blood samples from the studies by
the scientific community.
The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS), an
ancillary study to the WHI, was designed to test whether hormone therapy
prevents the development and progression of dementia symptoms in postmenopausal
women.
Office of Biostatistics Research
The Office of Biostatistics Research (OBR) provides
statistical expertise to the Institute and performs diverse functions in
planning, designing, implementing, and analyzing NHLBI-sponsored studies.
Its primary responsibility is to provide objective, statistically sound, and
medically relevant solutions to problems. The OBR is expected to provide
a new and valid statistical solution when presented with a problem for which
techniques are not yet available. Its methodological interests concern
survival analysis, longitudinal data analysis, and efficient study designs,
including the monitoring of ongoing clinical studies for efficacy and
safety. Recently the OBR has made contributions to statistical genetics
and has extended its expertise to bioinformatics.
Division of Intramural
Research
The DIR conducts laboratory and clinical research in
heart, vascular, lung, blood, and kidney diseases and develops technology
related to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Areas of interest
include the biology of experimental and clinical arteriosclerosis and its
manifestations; pathophysiology of hypertensive vascular disease; functions of
the lung; clinical and experimental studies on physiologic and pharmacologic
aspects of heart, lung, and blood diseases; and a broad program of other basic
research and technical developments related to them.
The DIR is organized into the four Centers and three
Branches described below.
Biochemistry and Biophysics Center
The Biochemistry and Biophysics Center develops a
global view of the molecular basis of structurefunction relationships of
proteins and biologically relevant molecules. It performs
state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy studies of
protein structure and functional interactions, develops mathematical tools for
generating theoretical models of protein structurefunction relationships,
elucidates the mechanisms of enzyme function, and investigates the relationship
between protein structurefunction and cell signaling pathways.
Cell Biology and Physiology Center
The Cell Biology and Physiology Center develops a
global view of the mechanisms that regulate cellular function and
physiology. It evaluates the mechanisms that control different molecular
machines within the cytosol, including those involved in muscle contraction and
cytosolic and membrane transport processes. The Center studies cellular
signaling events associated with hormone action, cytosolic trafficking, and
energy metabolism; investigates the role of cellular processes on function and
adaptation in whole-animal model systems; and develops unique measuring devices
for studying biochemical and physiological processes in intact cells, whole
animals, and clinical situations.
Genetics and Development Biology Center
The Genetics and Development Biology Center develops a
global view of the mechanisms that regulate cardiovascular development and the
etiology of congenital heart anomalies and CVD. It evaluates the function
of specific genes and transcription factors in the development of the heart and
other tissues, develops techniques and approaches for gene delivery and gene
therapy in model systems, and works toward a better understanding of basic
processes involved in regulating and interpreting the genetic code in
development and disease.
Immunology Center
The Immunology Center develops a global view of the
molecular basis of immune processes. It studies the intracellular and
signaling processes involved in the activation of lymphocytes and mast cells,
investigates the mechanisms by which drugs and other agents result in
allergic-autoimmune reactions, and relates the results to the development of
new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in humans.
Translational Medicine Branch
The Translational Medicine Branch conducts biomedical
research directed at defining normal and abnormal biologic function at the
molecular level. It develops diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for
the treatment and understanding of CVD and implements mechanism-based clinical
studies centered on innovative discoveries and observations from inside and
outside the Branch.
Hematology Branch
The Hematology Branch conducts basic and clinical
research on normal and abnormal hematopoiesis. Areas of interest include
bone marrow failure, viral infections of hematopoietic cells, gene therapy of
hematologic and malignant diseases, bone marrow transplantation, and mechanisms
of immunologically mediated syndromes such as graft-versus-host disease and
autoimmune diseases.
Pulmonary and Vascular Medicine Branch
The Pulmonary and Vascular Medicine Branch conducts
research on the lung, heart, and systemic vasculature directed at defining
normal physiological function and novel mechanisms of disease at the molecular,
biochemical, and functional levels. It conducts research on emerging
diseases of the lung characterized by unknown etiology and molecular
pathogenesis. Areas of interest include lung diseases in blacks, such as
sickle cell lung disease and sarcoidosis; the role of nitric oxide, nitrite,
gender, preconditioning, and mitochondrial function on the modulation of
ischemia and reperfusion injury of the heart and lung; and translational study
and drug development for therapeutic modulation of vascular, pulmonary, and
cardiac cellular and molecular dysfunction in diseases of the lung and
heart.
Division for the Application of
Research Discoveries
The DARD supports national and international research
translation, dissemination, and utilization programs to speed the application
of scientific advances in the prevention, detection, and treatment of
cardiovascular, lung, and blood diseases and to shorten the time between the
discovery and delivery of research advances. Through knowledge networks,
education programs, community outreach, conferences, and symposia, the Division
provides opportunities for multidirectional communication and collaboration
among researchers, clinical and public health practitioners, patients, and the
general public. It connects research and practice by identifying
knowledge gaps that should be addressed by future research; synthesizing and
organizing evidence related to priority diseases and conditions; facilitating
knowledge-sharing and collaboration with key stakeholders; and reaching out to
people in high-risk, low-income, and minority communities to eliminate health
disparities.
The Division is organized into the two Branches
described below.
Research Translation Branch
The Research Translation Branch synthesizes and
organizes new scientific evidence related to priority diseases and conditions
to facilitate rapid translation of research findings. It identifies
knowledge gaps to inform future research directions and promotes the use of
evidence-based reviews. The Branch develops or facilitates the
development of clinical guidelines with relevant stakeholders. It also
develops innovative implementation approaches for use in clinical and public
health practice; maximizes opportunities for researchers and users of research
to discuss research applicability, relevance, and utility; and addresses future
research needs through knowledge networks and other strategies.
Enhanced Dissemination and Utilization Branch
The Enhanced Dissemination and Utilization Branch
collects, synthesizes, and communicates new knowledge and recommendations for
the dissemination and utilization of research-based findings to diverse target
audiences, including minority and underserved groups. It provides
technical assistance and information resources to NHLBI grantees to enhance
their dissemination plans and practices. The Branch accelerates the
introduction of evidence-based tools and education programs into community
practice and establishes community-based Enhanced Dissemination and Utilization
Centers to apply the latest research advances and evaluate their effects in
multiple settings, achieve the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) Healthy People 2010 goals, and eliminate health disparities.
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