Basic Research

Some areas of basic scientific research include:

Prediction and Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death
Robert J. Myerburg, M.D., and other faculty in the Cardiovascular Division of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have been involved in clinical and basic research efforts in the field of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death since the early 1970’s.  Initial investigative efforts included clinical characterization of survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the setting of expanding and innovative strategies for community-based interventions. In parallel with these efforts, experimental studies on the physiology of cardiac arrhythmias were carried out in order to gain insights into mechanisms of clinical cardiac arrhythmias.  As basic, translational, and clinical research evolved, Dr. Myerburg and his colleagues have continued to expand the horizons to the point that they now are involved in studies designed to understand the genetic basis for individual risk of cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death.  Other research efforts have focused on interventions for high risk individuals and those with unexpected cardiac arrest in the community, with a recent focus on sudden death in adolescents, young adults and athletes.  The research efforts included early studies on implantable defibrillators and more recent strategies for deploying defibrillators in the hands of non-conventional responders (e.g., police, security guards, and ordinary citizens) within the community. The efforts related to cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death have been robust and broad-based, and continue as a very active component of the research efforts at the medical center.

Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy (FDC)
The FDC Research Project was founded by Dr. Ray Hershberger in 1993 at Oregon Health & Science University; the project moved to the University of Miami in 2007. The scientific goals of the project are to determine the molecular genetic basis of familial dilated cardiomyopathy, that is, to identify the gene or genes that cause or predispose an individual to dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure, and to understand the phenotypic variation of genetic cardiomyopathy in individual and families. An extensive family recruitment continues. This NIH-funded research team is composed of genetic counselors, clinicians and scientists in cardiology and genetics. Novel clinical programs are emerging from this research effort. It is our hope that new insights from these studies will lead to novel strategies for the detection, screening, prevention and treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure.

For more information, visit www.fdc.to.

Stem Cells
In concert with clinical trials, UM researchers pioneer research into the mechanism by which stem cells, including those derived from adult bone marrow (mesenchymal stem cells) turn into and/or stimulate the growth of cardiac muscle.  Our experiments in the basic research lab have shown that these cells can repair heart tissue and improve heart function.  Our hope is that this could lead to groundbreaking therapies to restore the heart function in heart attack and heart failure patients. Our program is a key participant in the only N.I.H. specialized center for cell-based therapy focused on treating heart disease.

For more information about the University of Miami Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at http://www.med.miami.edu/isci/.