Centre for Cardiovascular Science

Fibrosis and Calcification in Cardiovascular Disease

Information on Theme 2 of the Edinburgh BHF Centre of Research Excellence

The aim of this theme is to understand the body’s healing responses to cardiovascular injury and understand how these processes contribute to disease, and further to exploit this knowledge in order to modulate novel pathological mechanisms.

Principal Investigators

Dr Marc Dweck (theme lead)

Professor Matt Bailey

Professor Neil Henderson

Professor Rafael Kramann

Professor Nicholas Mills

Professor Dave Newby

Theme Objectives

  1. To investigate the fundamental pathways involved in the initiation and progression of cardiovascular fibrosis and calcification using novel animal models and state-of-the-art molecular technology and imaging.
  2. To develop novel biomarkers and enhanced imaging tools for injury, fibrosis and calcification.
  3. To identify novel therapeutic targets and treatment strategies that will first be tested with innovative animal models and pre-clinical imaging before translation back to patients using advanced clinical trial design.