Cardiology Research

Gazes Cardiac Research Institute

Founded in 1987, and named in honor of Peter Gazes, M.D., the Gazes Cardiac Research Institute is one of the nation's leading centers for heart failure research.

Directed by Donald Menick, Ph.D., the Institute brings together a diverse group of ten investigators interested in fundamental cardiovascular research and the translation of basic scientific discoveries to clinical practice. The diversity and collaborative interactions within the Institute and broader university, including the Departments of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology and Cardiac Surgery, foster a multidisciplinary approach to basic and translational research.

Overview

  • Research efforts attracted more than $4 million in federal grants last year
  • Funding from the NIH, VA, and American Heart Association have contributed to the growth of the university's overall research budget to more than $250 million, placing MUSC among the top 100 research institutions in the country
  • The Institute has one of the longest funded Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Training Grants from the NIH

The Gazes Institute's well-documented history of training some of Americas most promising scientists, many of whom have gone on to careers as clinical and basic scientists in cardiovascular research, including the Chief of Cardiology for Washington University.

Areas of Research

  • Evaluation of new treatment modalities in patients with heart failure • Altered cardiac properties that cause heart failure
  • Understanding the subtle mechanisms that cause the cells to become abnormal
  • The identification of gene regulatory networks, key pathways, and molecular factors which contribute to heart disease
  • Discovery of new prognostic indicators which will allow for the early detection and treatment of heart disease
  • Our robust clinical research program currently has more than 50 ongoing trials in cardiac arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, coronary intervention and heart transplant.

Investigators