Research

The Division of Research forms the foundation for scientific inquiry and enterprise for the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute. Our multidisciplinary administrative team spans the specialties of Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery and Cardiovascular Critical Care.

Among our distinguished faculty, we maintain robust extramural funding, extensive industry sponsorship, and a highly experienced platform upon which clinical trials are funded, staffed, and conducted. The Division of Research is recognized as a top Center of Excellence within the University. We recently initiated a Research Fellowship drawn from current residents that seeks to create a pipeline of physician-scientists who receive broad exposure to basic science methods and simultaneously pursue a master’s degree in clinical investigation.

To date, we have collectively published over 900 scientific peer-reviewed manuscripts in the past seven years and continue to contribute at the highest impact level. We have received various accolades, including the Chamberlain Award for Best Scientific Paper in Cardiac Surgery at the 2023 Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, with multiple invitations to moderate and discuss scientific abstracts during the annual meetings of the American Association of Thoracic Surgery, the American College of Cardiology, the Society of Vascular Surgery, and the American College of Critical Care Medicine.

Leadership

Our profile has continued to expand with leadership contributions to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network (CTSN). Furthermore, Dr. Badhwar has been appointed vice chair of the CTSN and in this role, we continue to provide thought leadership in national academic medicine and surgery.

NIH and Industry

The HVI continues to be a top enroller in multiple NIH and industry-sponsored trials, as well as a major innovator in the scientific development of cardiovascular medicine. The investment in innovation and commitment to research has afforded HVI faculty continued global prominence.

Cardiac Imaging Research

Our imaging team is an award-winning leader in innovation, echocardiographic diagnosis, artificial intelligence, and phenotyping. We developed proprietary machine-learning algorithms that enhance early diagnosis of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.