Personalized Tools to Fight Heart Disease
The world faces a growing prevalence of heart disease and an increased population that is at risk of developing heart disease. Although a number of effective treatments have been developed, new tools are urgently needed to assess potential new therapies and to address the burden of cardiovascular risk.
Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, Canada Research Chair in Translational and Personalized Medicine, is seeking to find some of these new tools. Tardif is focusing on the discovery, development and validation of innovative cardiovascular therapies and biomarkers (measures to evaluate heart function).
Tardif is aiming to develop therapies to battle atherosclerosis (the thickening and hardening of the arterial walls) and related diseases, and to discover and validate innovative cardiovascular biomarkers. He will then conduct translational research (transforming biological discoveries into drugs) on the anti-atherosclerotic therapies and biomarkers that he develops. The biomarkers will be tested in pre-clinical studies and assessed in rigorous clinical studies through the use of large patient cohorts and a world-calibre coordinating centre in Montréal.
Tardif’s goal is to transform his research into clinical applications that fulfill unmet medical needs and improve patient care. His research should lead to new applied treatments for heart disease that will be of benefit to patients and healthcare systems around the world.