The Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory comprises a multidisciplinary team of investigators involved in basic and applied research who are studying mechanisms of heart disease and new treatments for children with congenital heart defects.
The principal areas of active research are:
- Surgical robotics and ultrasound guided intracardiac surgery.The department is pioneering the use of 3-D ultrasound and laparoscopic techniques to operate on the beating heart.
- Myocardial metabolism and myocardial hypertrophy and heart failure. Researchers are exploring new methods of myocardial preservation during heart surgery and the role of angiogenic growth factors in heart failure.
- Tissue engineering to stimulate the growth of new tissue to repair congenital defects, including valve abnormalities, right ventricular defects, and arrhythmias.
The department is also developing a fetal cardiac surgery laboratory that will be conducting several clinical research projects including those to:
- Evaluate techniques to remodel the right ventricle after repair of tetralogy of Fallot.
- Determine optimal hematocrit levels to prevent neurologic injury during cardiopulmonary bypass.
Featured researchers in the Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory hold faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School.
