Our Mission

The Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center was established to expand basic, translational, and clinical research of cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular diseases, including congestive heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis, stroke, aneurysms, and vascular auto-immune diseases are the most common cause of death and disability in the United States, and account for approximately 30% of deaths and health care costs annually in this country and developed societies.

The mission of the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center is to support interdisciplinary research in basic, translational and clinical cardiovascular sciences, including cardiovascular development, function, pathophysiology, pharmacology, genetics, genomics, and proteomics, and to apply this knowledge to better understand the causes of cardiovascular diseases and to pioneer development of new innovative therapies and approaches to prevent or treat them.

Goals and Objectives

  • To support basic, translational, and clinical research that can be translated into therapies and improve patient care
  • To provide resources that enhance research in cardiovascular related diseases
  • To disseminate knowledge by lectures, seminars and other educational opportunities
  • To support training of pre- and postgraduate students, residents and fellows in the cardiovascular sciences and cardiovascular medicine
  • To help integrate cardiovascular research across labs, departments, and schools at UVA as well as with outside institutions including facilitating collaborative studies
  • To assist CVRC investigators in developing a plan for translating research findings into products or procedures that benefit patients including providing advice on protecting intellectual property, establishing biotech startup companies, and licensing technology to companies

Dr. Mete Civelek, PhD Featured in Article: In Our Cellular Glue, Scientists Discover Answers About Heart Attacks, Stroke, More
Dr. Mete Civelek, PhD Featured in Article: In Our Cellular Glue, Scientists Discover Answers About Heart Attacks, Stroke, More

University of Virginia School of Medicine scientists have found important answers about strokes, heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases by probing the biological glue our bodies create to protect us from those deadly dangers. The researchers, led by Mete Civelek, PhD, … Read More

School of Medicine Researchers Led by Miller Lab Obtain New Insights Into Coronary Artery Disease
School of Medicine Researchers Led by Miller Lab Obtain New Insights Into Coronary Artery Disease

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have obtained important new insights into the development of coronary artery disease – the world’s No. 1 killer – in diverse groups of people traditionally underrepresented in research studies. The UVA researchers, led … Read More


Miranda Good, PhD

Sex specific effects of endothelial Pannexin1 in cerebral vascular function and ischemic stroke Our work examines the mechanisms regulating cerebral artery function in health and disease. We examine the role of endothelial Pannexin1, a critical regulator of purinergic signaling, in … Read More

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Career Development-Industry Career Path

Tori Barnhouse, Ph.D. -Scientist I CRISPR Therapeutics Ben Heihoff, Ph.D- Scientist I Target Discovery, REGENXBIO Inc

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