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
Swapnil Sonkusare, PhD, Receives AHA Award to Research Atherosclerotic Plaques
Swapnil Sonkusare, PhD, Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biological Physics and Resident Member of the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, was awarded a $500,000 award from the American Heart Association. The award will fund research into atherosclerosis, the … Read More
Gary Owens featured by Research in Motion
CVRC Gary Owens, PhD, was featured by UVA Health’s Research in Motion series today. Watch his video below!
Christopher Kramer, MD, named President of American College of Cardiology
Dr. Christopher Kramer, MD, George A. Beller MD/Lantheus Medical Imaging Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and CVRC member, became President of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) at the organization’s 2025 annual meeting. The ACC is a global professional organization … Read More
Walsh Lab Featured in SOM Medicine in Motion News for Examining the Role of Clonal Hematopoiesis in Hypertension
Understanding the origins of medication-resistant hypertension is the focus of a new research by Ariel Polizio, PhD, a scientist in the lab of Ken Walsh, PhD, professor of research in internal medicine and resident faculty in the UVA Robert M. … Read More
Luke Dunaway, PhD, Wins AHA Award for Chronic Kidney Disease Research
Luke Dunaway, PhD, a postdoc in the lab of Brant Isakson, PhD, recently received a 3-year American Heart Association Career Development Award. This award will fund the final years of Dunaway’s postdoctoral training and the first stage of his career … Read More
Jonathan Lindner, MD, works towards improved gene therapies
Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center Resident Member and Frances Myers Ball Endowed Professor of Medicine, & Cardiovascular Division Vice-Chief for Research, Jonathan Lindner, MD, was recently awarded a $2,869,442 grant from the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute … Read More
CVTG RIP – Elevator Pitches
All Trainees Trainees should prepare a 3-4 minute introduction about themselves and their project—no slides! Audience will be quiet diverse from 2nd year graduate students just getting into labs to faculty and also from very different areas. These short “elevator … Read More
CVTG RIP – Hot Seats
All Trainees These sessions are initiated by having Dr. Isakson randomly selecting a trainee (by pulling a name from a jar) to give a 5-6 minute summary of their research project without slides indicating why their project is important, what … Read More