Research Groups and Areas

Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and worldwide and treatment and prevention of these diseases pose major challenges to health care systems. The Cardiac, Circulatory and Respiratory (CCR) Research Program at Queen’s University under the directorship of Dr. Marlys Koschinsky comprises a multidisciplinary group of researchers involved in basic molecular, clinical and population health research into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The group consists of over 30 lead investigators whose collective research funding corresponds to over 10 million dollars.

Research Accomplishments:

Members of the CCR Research Program have made significant contributions over the past few years in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), aneurysms (weakening of the artery walls), thrombotic diseases (abnormal blood clotting), and several respiratory disorders. Ongoing investigation involving collaboration between basic researchers and cardiologists is probing the question of why a significant proportion of individuals are resistant to clot-busting therapy for heart attacks. Other researchers in the program have identified key molecules that protect the heart muscle and have used this information to develop novel strategies, including gene therapy, to treat damage to this tissue. Clinical investigators affiliated with the program are interested in the acute changes in lung mechanics that result in the sensation of dyspnea (shortness of breath and difficulty breathing), which is a common complaint of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute asthma and heart failure. Their discoveries have led to a novel treatment of breathing difficulties in COPD and have had a direct impact on Canadian and international guidelines for COPD treatment. The Asthma Action Program developed here at Queen’s has directly affected practice guidelines for asthma. These clinical activities are complemented by basic research investigations into the molecular mechanisms linked to respiratory sensation and cardiorespiratory failure which have provided novel insight into the regulation of airway narrowing in asthma and COPD.

In addition to the receipt of research funding from a number of different agencies including the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario/Canada, CIHR and the Ontario Thoracic Society, 4 investigators hold salary awards from the HSFO and 3 are the recipients of the Canada Research Chairs.