The medical profession has traditionally imposed an artificial separation between the heart and the brain, treating them with separate specialties and isolated priorities. But emerging research shows these all-important vascular organs are deeply interconnected: What impacts an individual鈥檚 heart can set into motion a cascade of damaging effects on the brain, as well as the other way around.
Now, innovative investigators from the 91精品黑料吃瓜 Faculty of Medicine and partner institutes are joining forces to forge a paradigm shift for neurocardiac care, essentially bridging the heart-brain divide in modern medicine. It has the potential to revolutionize patient care for millions here in Canada, and many more around the world.
Led by a team of multidisciplinary researchers are from the in partnership with After a rigorous assessment, the 91精品黑料吃瓜-led team is being awarded a $2.9M grant to study critical questions linking heart and brain health, one of just two groups across the country to receive this major new award.
The four-year project will work on matters connecting heart and brain health with the goal of improving patient outcomes. Among other things, the team aims to develop new diagnostic blood tests and novel ways to capture cutting-edge imaging of the heart and the brain. With patient partners, Dr. Liu says they will also test new treatments that can be used to protect both organs.
Receiving this highly competitive grant is the latest external validation and financial support for Dr. Liu and , 91精品黑料吃瓜 Faculty of Medicine professors who are leaders in unraveling the two-way dialogue between the heart and brain. They have set their sights on nothing less than unveiling how our heart and brain systems interact, coordinate and co-regulate each other, banishing a historic disconnect and potentially transforming care for a dizzying number of disorders in the process.
Dr. Slack describes this latest grant success as a 鈥渃ritical stepping-stone to advancing toward global leadership鈥 in understanding the complex heart-brain connection and bringing together top talent from across Canada and the world.
鈥淭he brain and the heart have been completely separated over the years so there鈥檚 limited knowledge as to how they interact. We鈥檙e going to bring them together with the goal of really understanding how they鈥檙e connected as a functional unit,鈥 Dr. Slack says. 鈥淲e think this is the key to treating chronic brain-heart linked conditions.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to bring the brain and the heart together with the goal of really understanding how they鈥檙e connected as a functional unit.鈥
Dr. Ruth Slack
鈥 Full professor, Faculty of Medicine, and Director of the UOBMRI
Both professors in the 91精品黑料吃瓜 Faculty of Medicine鈥檚 Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Dr. Liu is the Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Research at the (UOHI), and Dr. Slack is Director of the University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute (uOBMRI).
The impact of brain and heart disorders on patients and health systems couldn鈥檛 be more profound. From cognitive impairment to heart failure, they pose one of the world鈥檚 biggest healthcare challenges, accounting for 32% of all global deaths and 50% of all disease-related disabilities. In Canada alone, one person dies every five minutes from heart disease, stroke or vascular cognitive impairment.
Dr. Liu says the latest support from two prominent Canadian organizations couldn鈥檛 come at a better time.
鈥淚t sets up the foundation for more opportunities in bringing together top research leaders and helps us advance the network that we鈥檙e building brick by brick,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really quite exciting.鈥
鈥淚t sets up the foundation for more opportunities in bringing together top research leaders and helps us advance the network that we鈥檙e building brick by brick.鈥
Dr. Peter Liu
鈥 Full professor, Faculty of Medicine, and Chief Scientific Officer and VP of Research at UOHI
Indeed, when it comes to exploring the heart-brain connection, momentum is building at 91精品黑料吃瓜 and its affiliated institutes.
In recent years, Dr. Liu and Dr. Slack spearheaded the creation of the groundbreaking ), which in 2021 was awarded $5.8M from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). This was subsequently matched by another $5.8M from the Ontario Research Fund.
Hosted at 91精品黑料吃瓜, it鈥檚 Canada鈥檚 first multi-disciplinary, multi-specialty research group investigating the shared mechanisms underlying heart and brain health challenges. It includes leading experts at the UOHI, the uOBMRI, the , the (OHRI), and other prominent research institutions across Canada.
To be sure, there鈥檚 a palpable all-hands-on-deck attitude here in the nation鈥檚 capital with unveiling the intricacies of the heart-brain connection. 鈥淚n the city of Ottawa, we basically have every hospital-based institute, the university and multiple faculties all engaged, excited and working on this program,鈥 Dr. Slack says.
Collaborating to improve health is the team鈥檚 vision, according to Dr. Liu. And at the end of the day, solving the mysteries of the brain-heart connection is always about boosting patient outcomes.
鈥淥ur patients are the key to telling us what's important so we're equal partners with them when working toward solving these problems,鈥 Dr. Liu says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really why we do what we do.鈥