About

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death globally. Some of the risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking and high cholesterol, are well recognized and have been the focus of intensive research and policy efforts. However, emerging evidence from animal and human studies has demonstrated that metabolites associated with specific nutritional and metabolic states are causative to the progression of metabolic syndrome, including cardiovascular disorders. Thus, combining population sciences with basic and clinical research will reveal new insights into the fundamental causes of cardiovascular disease.

The Chan school has been a research and policy leader in areas pertaining to cardiovascular disease, conducting innovative studies in nutritional epidemiology and developing ground-breaking campaigns to end smoking. The Chan school is also represented by strong laboratory-based research on mechanisms of metabolic diseases. The CAP-CVD center is building on this unique strength to study the changing risk landscape of cardiovascular disease.

Our approach

CAP-CVD brings together interdisciplinary scientists from the basic biological sciences and population scientists at the Chan school. The center is organized around the following three programs:

• Developing and supporting collaborative research projects that address the underlying causes of metabolic risk for cardiovascular disease.
• Financial support of junior faculty in the Departments of Nutrition and Molecular Metabolism conducting groundbreaking research in metabolism and cardiovascular disease.
• Developing and deploying state-of-the-art analytics to apply to the population as well as basic science questions (link to ChAMP).

Core values of the CAP-CVD center include a dedication to scientific excellence and rigor, and a commitment to open communication and rapid sharing of reagents and results generated by interdisciplinary research.

CAP-CVD Faculty are affiliated with Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition Departments