By Jessica Kisling —
The University of Louisville now owns the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute after the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence handed over their $16 million share as of Oct. 7.
U of L President Neeli Bendapudi took the opportunity to thank the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence for their continuous effort and promised that the hard work would continue.
The main goal of the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute is to improve the research done on cardiovascular diseases that affect people’s daily lives. Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death across the United States, and is responsible for about 75 percent of deaths in Kentucky alone said Toni Ganzel, dean of the U of L School of Medicine.
This research has since been declared as the most important and vital medical research for the next decade.
According to the press release, since its original formation in 2006, the institute has developed technologies and devices that will allow for advancement in cardiovascular medicine in space as well as in war. They have also developed therapeutic approaches to the diseases and their diagnoses as well as a high resolution ultrasound that can measure the heart’s structure.
Funding for the institute originally came from different health organizations in the commonwealth. Among these contributors include St. Mary’s Healthcare, Kosair Charities and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and Department of Commercialization and Innovation. Senator Mitch McConnell also helped by aiding the institute in receiving federal appropriations.
Since then they have acquired almost $39 million in other grants and contracts. Most of this money has been designated for the development of the innovative cardiovascular technologies and medicine.
File Photo // The Louisville Cardinal
