Our Mission
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
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Sonkusare Lab Members Receive Awards at NAVBO Meeting
Two members of the Sonkusare Lab received awards at the 2025 meeting of the North American Vascular Biology Society (NAVBO). Maniselvan Kuppusamy, PhD, a Senior Research Scientist, received the Emerging Leaders Award from the Microcirculatory Society. The award recognizes promising early-career … Read More
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CVRC Sweeps 2025 ASE Research Investigator Awards
Two CVRC members, Matteo Morello, MD, and Bethany Gholson, BS, ACS, RCS, FASE, won the 2025 Research Investigator Awards at this year’s American Society of Echocardiography (ASE). Dr. Morello received the Arthur E. Weyman Young Investigator’s Award and Gholson received … Read More
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Sumeet Khetarpal, MD, PhD, Joins the CVRC & Discovers New Cardiac Responses to Exercise
Sumeet Khetarpal, MD, PhD, joined the CVRC on September 2, 2025. Dr. Khetarpal, now an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, comes to UVA from Massachusetts General Hospital, where he finished his Cardiology Fellowship. He also completed postdoctoral … Read More
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Sonkusare Lab Discovers and Targets a Novel Mechanism Driving High Blood Pressure in Obesity
Obesity affects about 4 in 10 American adults and 1 in 5 children. Beyond excess weight, it triggers internal changes that can lead to serious health problems. One such change is chronic low-level inflammation, which constricts blood vessels and raises blood … Read More
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Walsh Lab Finds Solutions to Consequences of Y Chromosome Loss
As human beings age, we accumulate mutations in our DNA. These mutations can be harmless, or they can contribute to age-related conditions including neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and some cancers. The most prevalent age-related mutation in males is the loss … Read More
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Antonio Abbate, MD, Identifies Treatment for POTS
Resident member Antonio Abbate, MD, Ruth C. Heede Professor of Cardiology, recently published a paper detailing a treatment for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Dr. Abbate & coworkers found that controlling the patient’s heart rate with an already-approved medication improved … Read More
Alexandra Newman, PhD
Intersecting pathways: Immune mechanisms linking cardiovascular disease and cancer Cardiovascular disease and cancer, while distinct, exhibit cross-disease communication that exacerbates morbidity. Cancer patients are at significantly increased risk for CVD and ischemic cardiovascular events can in turn accelerate tumor growth. Immune … Read More
Baptiste Lacoste, PhD
Beyond Neurons: Vascular Pathways in Autism Dr. Lacoste and his team have established a unique research niche bridging basic and translational neurovascular biology. The Lacoste Lab, established in 2016, has discovered novel mechanisms regulating cerebrovascular maturation1, and the vascular contributions … Read More
Nick Leeper, M.D.
The role of cancer in cardiovascular disease This lecture will provide an overview of the bi-directional relationship between cancer and cardiovascular disease. Topics will include a summary of the epidemiological overlap, shared biological mechanisms, and emerging data suggesting potential causal … Read More
Gary Owens, PhD
TBD Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, Professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Robert M. Berne Endowed Professor, Director of the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center