February 11, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved at its Feb. 6 meeting the creation of a comprehensive Center for Cardiovascular Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
The center is designed to unite cardiovascular investigators across campus and to promote resource integration necessary for the development of new methods to treat, prevent and, ultimately, cure heart disease and its complications.
"There is such a wealth of expertise in cardiovascular research at UAB from investigators distributed among 23 departments across campus, who have enhanced our understanding of the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The goal of this new center is to unify these efforts and to build upon their excellence," said center director Steven M. Pogwizd, M.D., Featheringill Endowed Professor in Cardiac Arrhythmia Research, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics, and biomedical engineering, and director of research in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease. "This center will provide all cardiovascular researchers across the UAB campus, regardless of their division, department or school, a place to foster new collaborations, stimulate the development of new knowledge and enhance future funding opportunities."
Pogwizd emphasized that in the past two and a half years, there have been nearly 600 peer-reviewed research papers published by cardiovascular researchers at UAB. By uniting all of these investigators under one center, UAB will be able to harness their expertise to expand the cutting edge basic, clinical and translational cardiovascular research. The center also will allow an opportunity for enhanced philanthropic support for cardiovascular research campus-wide.
"Through this Center, we will be able to enhance integration of basic, clinical and translational cardiovascular research campus-wide by helping develop cores that will provide services university-wide to all cardiovascular researchers," Pogwizd said. "Of particular importance, we will use the resources of the center to develop the next generation of cardiovascular researchers as well as recruit new researchers focusing on investigators who span areas of excellence and bring new skills and knowledge to UAB."