Cardiothoracic Research Laboratory

Located at the nationally known Carlyle Fraser Heart Center, Emory University Hospital Midtown, and directed by Dr. Jakob Vinten-Johansen, the Cardiothoracic Research Laboratory conducts basic and translational research in cardiac surgery, cardiothoracic diseases and treatment; trains basic science and clinical investigators in cardiothoracic research and therapeutics; and develops innovative strategies and devices to treat cardiothoracic diseases. Faculty researchers have devised methods of protecting the heart during open heart surgery and are refining and testing a method for prevention of calcification of bioprosthetic heart valves. Current laboratory efforts are focused on resurrection of dying heart cells at the time of a heart attack, mechanisms and treatment of surgical and non-surgical myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (Dr. Vinten-Johansen's team was the first the first to demonstrate in 2003 that the modified angioplasty procedure known as "postconditioning" could reduce reperfusion injury in laboratory animals), and the use of stem cells to assist in the recovery of the heart after a myocardial infarction.

A very active clinical research program in cardiac and thoracic surgery is conducted through the division's CRU, directed by Dr. John Puskas and staffed by several research nurses, database managers and biostatisticians. The CRU is devoted to developing and investigating new techniques and technologies in cardiothoracic surgery, one example being Dr. Puskas' 2000-2004 SMART study establishing the efficacy of off-pump coronary bypass in providing complete revascularization with patency rates equivalent to conventional coronary artery bypass graft surgery as well as a decreased hospital morbidity. In 2007, the CRU was selected to join the Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network — a consortium of adult cardiac surgery centers supported by the National Institute of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute — to evaluate new surgical techniques, technologies, devices and innovative pharmaceutical and bioengineered products in multi-institutional prospective randomized trials.

The key mission of the CDI, directed by Dr. Omar Lattouf, is to assist Emory scientists and physician inventors in getting their discoveries out of the university and into the marketplace by preparing projects for outside investment, product development, and commercialization while also helping Emory faculty protect their ideas as patentable intellectual property. The CDI often works with the CRU in translating advances in basic science and device innovation to patient care.