Despite decades of progress in cardiovascular science, women continue to face significant gaps in research, diagnosis and treatment, according to a report published by the American Heart Association and the McKinsey Health Institute. To help close those gaps, the American Heart Association, through its American Heart Association Ventures’ Studio Red, announced the recipients of the Redefining Women’s Health: From Heart to Head to Hormones translational research grant awards.
Each grant recipient will receive $100,000 to accelerate high-potential, translational research projects designed to move promising discoveries toward real-world application. During the one-year award period, Studio Red will provide grantees with support and education on topics including intellectual property, regulatory, reimbursement and commercialization strategies.
The winning projects span several Association priority research areas, including ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries, autoimmune disease and heavy menstrual bleeding. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is designing a safer, non-invasive MRI technique to detect hidden heart blood vessel problems in women without drugs, injections or invasive procedures. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is developing a new blood test designed specifically for women to diagnose autoimmune diseases earlier and more accurately, while predicting risk for severe illness. The Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles, is using artificial intelligence to analyze medical records, heart images and laboratory tests to identify women at risk for hidden heart blood vessel disease. The University of Maryland, Baltimore, is creating an AI-powered tool to help doctors more quickly identify causes of heavy menstrual bleeding and recommend effective tests and treatments. The University of Pittsburgh is testing a novel ultrasound-based therapy that uses tiny bubbles and sound waves to improve blood flow in the heart’s smallest vessels and relieve chest pain in women with often-overlooked heart disease.
“Too often, conditions that uniquely or disproportionately affect women are overlooked or misunderstood in clinical care,” said Annabelle Volgman, M.D., American Heart Association volunteer and chair of the peer review committee. “The projects we selected to fund stood out based on scientific rigor and the potential to translate into meaningful improvements in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for women.”
Funded projects were selected based on their potential to create a clear pathway toward practical application and patient benefit. “Many heart, brain and related conditions that disproportionately, differently or distinctly impact women remain underdiagnosed, undertreated and underfunded,” said Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association. “Through this grant program, the American Heart Association is investing to advance groundbreaking research and novel solutions that will close critical gaps in health for women.”
At the conclusion of the yearlong award period, one to two awardees may be selected for company incubation in Studio Red, which includes guidance during the early company formation process and support in reaching key funding milestones. The goal is to have one company created and ready for follow-on funding. For more information on cardiovascular disease in women, the Association offers resources such as the Call to Action for Cardiovascular Disease in Women: Epidemiology, Awareness, Access, and Delivery of Equitable Health Care: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association | Circulation and Ischemic Heart Disease and Silent Ischemia | American Heart Association, as well as news on Women with common autoimmune diseases may face higher death rate from heart disease, stroke than men | American Heart Association. General heart health information is available at heart.org, and venture initiatives can be found at heart.org/ventures. Stroke-related resources are at stroke.org.
