The research program within the Division of Cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine covers a broad spectrum of studies ranging from fundamental basic biology to clinical trials and implementation research. The primary hub of our research program is located in the new Health Services Research Science Building II (HASRBII) which contains state-of-the-art core facilities to support all aspects of basic, clinical, and translational research. The division has dedicated outpatient space for meeting with study participants in an adjacent building and additional laboratory space is available at the nearby Atlanta VA Medical Center.
The division receives over $22 million a year in extramural funding from multiple sources including the National Institutes of health, the American Heart Association, and industry sponsors. The faculty of the division of cardiology currently oversee over 250 clinical research studies. There is strong connectivity with other research efforts across the university with several of the faculty holding leadership roles with the NIH-sponsored Georgia CTSA. In addition, many of the faculty participate in graduate training either through the Department of Biomedical Engineering or the Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences of Emory University.
Basic science (wet lab) research in the division has a strong foundation in basic cellular and molecular biology with a focus on applied and translational research as it relates to cardiovascular diseases. The original foundation of the division was built around expertise in vascular biology but that has expanded over the years to include regenerative medicine, drug and gene delivery, cardiovascular genetics, and myocardial biology.
Clinical Cardiology Research
The Division of Cardiology's Clinical Research program spans across all cardiovascular disease specialties including Interventional, Structural, Electrophysiology, and Advanced Heart Failure. Our division has 54 PIs engaged in clinical research, with over 200 actively enrolling studies, and extends to all phases and types of trials. We conduct federal, industry, and investigator-led studies. Strengths of the clinical research program include studies of biomarkers of cardiovascular disease, sports cardiology, women's health, health services research, adult congenital heart disease and predictors of cardiovascular outcomes.
Training Future Researchers
An important aspect of our research program is training young scientists. Cardiology fellows have the opportunity to work with some of the nation's top investigators, benefiting from their experience and expertise. Close, day-to-day interactions between the fellows and their respective mentors provide guidance not only with the research project but also manuscript and grant writing, data analysis, oral presentations and planning of research projects.
In addition to our fellows, we have a large number of other research trainees who come to Emory each year. These include both national and international graduate students and post-doctoral PhD fellows.