The Centre for Cardiovascular Investigations (CCVI) has been launched at the University of Guelph. A collaboration between the laboratories in the Ontario Veterinary College, College of Biological Sciences, and Human Health & Nutritional Sciences, it aims to both investigate cardiovascular disease and train new scientists in the field.
Having received over $4.5 million in funding over the past four years, the CCVI studies cardiovascular disease on both a biochemical and treatment-based level.
“Since we’re part of the OVC, we have the best state-of-the-art facilities right here that nobody else in Canada has,” said Prof. Tami Martino, who heads the Centre. “And so it allows us to take basic research findings—sometimes when you find stuff at a basic research level, like in a cell, or a tissue or even in a mouse, people say, ‘well, that’s an interesting finding, but does it really apply to the health of people and animals?’ and so it allows us to take some of our studies…and be able to move things from basic research to more clinical translations.”
The collaboration between multiple colleges provides a unique environment for both students and researchers.
“When I came here, there were a number of cardiovascular researchers in the different departments, but we were a little spread out,” said Martino. “We started doing that around 2011…we formed a more cohesive group, and we could start to incorporate ourselves into a centre so we could then start to bring speakers here as well, and our students could interact with the other leaders in Canada. So we could start to see what was going on out there and in reverse, they would start to see better what we do here and meet our students and allow everyone to come into that bigger forum.”
In May 2015, the CCVI officially obtained Centre status, making it easier to apply for grants to further its research. It has also become more involved in educational initiatives, and will be hosting its first Seminar and Distinguished Lecture Series on Oct. 26-27.
“Our very first inaugural guest speaker…is Dr. Gavin Oudit, and he’s a clinician, a cardiologist, a Canada Research chair, and a PhD, and so he’s going to come and meet individually with each of the members of the team so we get a chance to show off what we do here at Guelph,” said Martino.
The Centre also aims to promote awareness of current cardiovascular research through its blog “Chronobiology: Current Clinical Applications,” run by Elena Tsimakouridze, a researcher at the Centre and a PhD candidate. The blog provides links to scientific studies in the realm of cardiovascular health.
Multiple studies are currently being conducted right at the Centre. “Jeremy Simpson is interested in cardio-respiratory and cardio muscle. So he’s interested in how the heart and the lung systems work together… Philip Millar is a new researcher who is interested in sympathetic and non-nomic nervous activity, which is sort of the stop and the go of your day-night cycle, and how your systems get revved up and how that affects health and disease,” said Martino. Another researcher, John Dawson, studies cardiac actin, and will be accepting an award for his research from the Heart and Stroke Foundation next month.
One study conducted at the Centre examined the best time of day to take medication, based on circadian rhythms. “We gave [participants] ACE inhibitors, which are the most common class of drugs given to people who have had heart attacks or high blood pressure, and we found that if you gave them at sleep-time, they did much better in terms of outcomes of heart disease than if you gave them at wake-time,” said Martino, who ran the study through her lab. “[But] a lot of times doctors will say, ‘when you wake up, brush your teeth and take your medications,’ because it’s easy to remember.”
These studies could have vast implications for the large number of Canadians with cardiovascular issues; heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of hospitalization in Canada, and are two of the three leading causes of death. It’s an exciting field of research, and the Centre provides many opportunities to get involved.
“Students who are interested in cardiovascular research should probably go to the website and look up all the investigators…and then they can contact the researchers,” said Martino. “We’re always taking on more students—sometimes it’s volunteer, sometimes it’s for a fourth-year project. There are always openings coming up.”
“We’re really excited to be able to take research to the next level and we look forward to working with people and adding value to the University and building our centre.”
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The Ontarion is the University of Guelph’s independent student newspaper. It began in 1951 as part of the Ontario Agricultural College and then began to represent the entire University of Guelph once it amalgamated in 1964. The Ontarion incorporated in May 1970 as The Ontarion, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation registered with the province of Ontario.