Our two-fold mission is to improve the quality of human life through creative basic and translational research in cardiovascular disease, and to build a legacy of outstanding scholarship, scientific achievement, and therapeutic discovery.  We will accomplish our mission by providing a challenging, results-oriented environment for training and developing future generations of researchers and physician-scientists.

 Message from the Director

Douglas W. Losordo, MD Director, Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute

On behalf of the faculty and staff of the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, I welcome you to our Web site and thank you for your interest in learning about our programs.

Originally established in 1988, the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute is dedicated to pursuing an understanding of the fundamental molecular and cellular processes underlying cardiovascular disease, the largest contributor to morbidity and mortality in the United States. Though tremendous strides have been made in recent years in our understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease, much work remains to be done.

Our investigators at Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute are exploring complex problems at the vanguard of modern cardiovascular research, including basic cellular signaling pathways and their contributions to disease, the use of stem cells in regenerative medicine, and diagnostic and imaging technologies critical to patient care.

As our Institute grows and evolves, we will continue to build expertise and infrastructure to support translational research, providing a more productive route for transforming basic laboratory discoveries into new treatment options for patients.

Recent News

November 17, 2009
Your Own Stem Cells Can Treat Heart Disease
The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells.

In the 12-month Phase II, double-blind trial, subjects' own purified stem cells, called CD34+ cells, were injected into their hearts in an effort to spur the growth of small blood vessels that make up the microcirculation of the heart muscle. Researchers believe the loss of these blood vessels contributes to the pain of chronic, severe angina.

"This is the first study to show significant benefit in pain reduction and improved exercise capacity in this population with very advanced heart disease," said principal investigator Douglas Losordo, M.D., the Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research at the Northwestern University Feinberg School fo Medicine and a cardiologist and director of the program in cardiovascular regenerative medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the lead site of the study.

Losordo, also director of the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, said this study provides the first evidence that a person's own stem cells can be used as a treatment for their heart disease. He cautioned, however, that the findings of the 25-site trial with 167 subjects, require verification in a larger, Phase III study.

He presented his findings Nov. 17 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2009.

Read the full article here.

For additional coverage of this story, see the article at Chicago Tribune.

September 28, 2009
Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute Researcher Awarded Second Prize at Northwestern Cardiovascular Young Investigator's Forum
Dr. Jörn Tongers was awarded 2nd Prize at the Northwestern Cardiovascular Young Investigator's Forum, which was held September 24-27 at the Allerton Hotel in Chicago.  This competitive forum was sponsored by the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and was supported by an educational grant from AstraZeneca.

September 10, 2009
Tissue Engineering Topic of 13th Annual Frances Feinberg Memorial Lecture
More than 50 years after the first organ transplant (kidney) in Boston, the medical profession is still grappling with the same challenges – namely, organ rejection and the lack of availability, according to Anthony Atala, MD, during the Frances Feinberg Memorial Lecture, “Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells: New Approaches to Health Care.” A pediatric urology surgeon, Atala, founding director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and chair of the Department of Urology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is all too familiar with these challenges.

Read the entire article by clicking here.

August 31, 2009
Two Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute Investigators Awarded New Grants from National Institutes of Health
Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute is pleased to announce that two of its Investigators were awarded new research grants from NHLBI.

Dr. Tsutomu Kume was awarded a RO1 grant entitled "Fox Transcription Factors in Vascular Development".  Dr. Kume's grant will provide over $1.5 million of funding over a four year project period.

Dr. Thomas McGarry was awarded a R21 grant entitled "Creation of Stem Cells by Nuclear Reprogramming".  His grant will provide over $400,000 of funding over a two year project period.

We congratulate our Investigators on this achievement.

August 3, 2009
13 Annual Francis Feinberg Memorial Lecture scheduled for Tuesday, September 8, 2009.
We are pleased to announce that the 13th Annual Francis Feinberg Memorial Lecture will be presented by Anthony Atala, MD.  Dr. Atala is W.H. Boyce Professor and Chair of the Department of Urology at Wake Forest University, and Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.  The title of his presentation is Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering, and Stem Cells: New Approaches to Health Care.  A downloadable flyer is available here.

July 8, 2009
Research Fellow at Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute receives postdoctoral fellowship grant award from American Heart Association
Dr. Rajesh Gupta, a research fellow working in the laboratory of Dr. Douglas Losordo, has received a postdoctoral fellowship grant.  Dr. Gupta's grant, entitled "The Role of Hedgehog Interacting Protein in Sonic Hedgehog Mediated Angiogenesis and Ischemic Tissue Repair", will provide two years of funding for his research project.

Dr. Rajesh Gupta

June 12, 2009
Investigator from Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute participates in announcement of new landmark tobacco regulation legislation.Dr. Hossein Ardehali, an Investigator at Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, served as an advocate for the American Heart Association in today's announcement of a landmark bill that provides for tighter regulation of tobacco.  See news and photos at Illinois Advocacy Beat.

More Recent FCVRI news >