Cardiovascular Research

Since 1915 the Henry Ford Health and the Division of Cardiology have shared the common mission of improving human life through excellence in the science and art of health care and healing. This mission is carried out by physicians and researchers who are dedicated not only to unmatched clinical care, but also to ground breaking scientific activities. Our bioscientific and clinical staff are engaged in more than 1,800 active basic science, translational, and clinical studies spanning from the bench to the bedside. Studies range from whole-animal physiology to cell and molecular biology to bioengineering to clinical projects. Henry Ford scientists and physicians also participate in and lead many clinical trials that determine how to best treat disease. In fact, much of our activities focus on studies that directly seek to understand mechanisms of disease and improve patient care. We are particularly proud of research teams from the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Center for Health Policy and Health Services Research who collaborate with members of the Henry Ford Medical Group as well as researchers in other states to enhance the quality of health care nationwide.

Henry Ford Health’s research program is one of the largest, most well-funded, and successful in Michigan. We receive about $94 million in annual funding from external sources, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), other governmental sources, businesses and private foundations. In addition, Henry Ford provides about $12 million in support of the research enterprise. We rank fourth in Michigan in total NIH funding and rank first in Michigan for NIH-research funding for non-university based health care systems. We are in the top 10% of all institutions granted funding by NIH and U.S. Public Health Service.

Research programs in the Cardiovascular Division are among the most robust in the Health System. Opportunities are equally strong in each subspecialty of Cardiology. Fellows take full advantage of all our research programs and routinely present at regional, national, and international society meetings. In 2023 our Division produced more than 200 publications , and Fellows are traditionally involved in many of the projects. Fellows also have the advantage of being paired with excellent research mentors who help guide them through their research activities from hypothesis generation, to IRB submission, to manuscript submission. Additionally, our Associate Program Director for Research, who has extensive experience in research mentorship, assists fellows in their endeavors. Through didactic sessions, journal clubs, and one on one meetings Fellows are taught how to conduct thoughtful, ethical, and well performed cardiovascular research. To make the research experience even more appealing at Ford, Fellows have paid access to biostatisticians to help them with their research projects as well as institutional grants from the Graduate Medical Education Department to fund their projects.

Below you will find an example of recent activities within the Cardiovascular Division. We look forward to future Cardiology Fellows bringing with them new ideas and joining in the scholarly activities of our Division. The distinct advantage of training at Henry Ford is that you will be assured an outstanding clinical as well as academic training that will prepare you for a future life as a clinician and a scholar.

Recently completed and ongoing clinical trials

Structural heart disease/ interventional cardiology

• M3: Percutaneous implantation of M3 docking system and transcatheter mitral valve replacement
• CLASP II TR - A prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled pivotal trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transcatheter tricuspid valve repair with the Edwards PASCAL Transcatheter Valve Repair System and optimal medical therapy (OMT) compared to OMT alone in patients with tricuspid regurgitation
• Summit - Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of Using the Tendyne Mitral Valve System for the Treatment of Symptomatic Mitral Regurgitation
• Precise - Prospective Randomized Trial of the Optimal Evaluation of Cardiac Symptoms and Revascularization
• The ENCIRCLE High - Risk Trial – SAPIEN M3 System TransCatheter MItral Valve ReplaCement via TransseptaL AccEss
• CORRAL: Study of Lambre Lifetech left atrial occluder device (LAmbre is a new; self-expanding LAA occlude constructed from a nitinol mesh and polyester membranes).
• REPAIR MR: randomized controlled trial to compare the clinical outcome of MitraClip™ device versus surgical repair in patients with severe primary MR who are at moderate surgical risk 
• CLASP IIF: Mitral repair with PASCAL device; A prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled pivotal trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transcatheter mitral valve repair with the Edwards PASCAL Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair System compared to Abbott MitraClip in patients with functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) and who have been determined to be at prohibitive risk for mitral valve surgery by the Heart Team.
• ACURATE IDE Continued Access: Single-arm continued access of the ACURATE transfemoral Aortic Valve System for TAVR in subjects with severe aortic stenosis
• ALIGN-AR Continued Access: Single-arm continued access of the JenaValve Trilogy Heart Valve System in patients with severe, symptomatic aortic regurgitation who are at high risk for surgery
• ALLIANCE: TAVR with the Edwards SAPIEN X4 System
• ALLIANCE AVIV- TAVR in TAVR study with Sapien X4 System
• ENVISION: Randomized trial of the Abbott NAVITOR System in low to intermediate surgical risk patients with severe aortic stenosis indicated for TAVR.

Electrophysiology

• ULTRA-HFIB: patients with atrial fibrillation and hypertension, scheduled for 1st time ablation. Randomized 1:1 to receive renal sympathetic denervation after atrial fibrillation ablation
• FACT-CRT: Factors Associated with Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Heart Failure Patients with Non-LBBB pattern
• PIVATAL- Prophylactic Intra-Operative Ventricular Arrhythmia Ablation in High-Risk LVAD Candidates
• REACT-AF: To assess whether smart watch-guided, time-delimited oral anticoagulation therapy is non-inferior to continuous oral coagulation therapy for patients with low burden atrial fibrillation and low to moderate stroke risk.
• Medtronic Cryo Global Registries - STOP Persistent AF PAS and STOP AF First PAS: To obtain real-world performance and safety information of market-released products of the Artic Front and Freezor MAX Families of Cardiac Cryoablation Catheters.
• REAL-AF: Registry designed to obtain real-world clinical experience of paroxysmal and persistent ablation using commercially available Biosense Webster CARTO technologies.
• ULTRA HFIB Redo: To determine the role of adjunctive renal sympathetic denervation in the prevention of Atrial Fibrillation recurrence in patients with hypertension scheduled for a repeat AF ablation. Subjects are randomized to AF ablation alone, or AF ablation and a renal sympathetic denervation.
• OPTION: To determine if left atrial appendage closure with the WATCHMAN FLX TM device is a reasonable alternative to oral anticoagulation following percutaneous catheter ablation for high risk patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Noninvasive imaging

• GE-122-020 (ADMIRE-ICD): AdreView™ Myocardial Imaging for Risk Evaluation – A multicenter trial to guide ICD implantation in NYHA class II & III heart failure patients with 30%≤LVEF≤35%.
• PRECISE: Prospective Randomized Trial of the Optimal Evaluation of Cardiac Symptoms and Revascularization (PRECISE). PRECISE will evaluate whether a precision evaluation strategy that combines contemporary risk stratification using the PROMISE Risk Tool with functional and anatomic non-invasive evaluation with cCTA with selective FFRct can improve outcomes over usual care in stable chest pain patients while safely deferring further testing in low-risk patients and reducing cost overall.

Heart failure

• PROACTIVE-HF: A Prospective, Multi-Center, Randomized, Trial Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of the Cordella™ Pulmonary Artery Sensor System in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III Heart Failure Patients
• ARIES: HeartMate 3 study – Double blind Randomized trial of Antiplatelet Removal and Hemocompatibility Events With the HeartMate 3 Pump IDE Study
• DAPA ACT HF-TIMI- A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo controlled trial to evaluate the effect of in-hospital initiation of dapagliflozin on clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction who have been stabilized during hospitalization for acute heart failure.
• FINEARTS-HF: Finerenone study to investigate effectiveness and safety compared to placebo in patients with heart failure.
• MANAGE-HF: A multifaceted adaptive mobile application to promote self-management and improve outcomes in heart failure.
• PARAGLIDE-HF: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel group, active controlled study to evaluate the effect of sacubitril/valsartan versus valsartan on changes in NT-proBNP and outcomes, safety and tolerability in HFpEF patients with acute decompensated heart failure who have been stabilized during hospitalization and initiated in-hospital or within 30 days post-discharge.
• Lilly (J2L-MC-EZBB) – A single dose study evaluating impact of a different dose levels and infusion durations on safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of LY3461767 in patients with chronic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction.
• PROTECT Heart Registry – Prospera Test Evaluation in Cardiac Transplant Patients.
• SEQUOIA- A Phase 3, Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of CK-3773274 in Adults with Symptomatic Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction
• Garden-HF: a phase 2, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 4-arm study to investigate symptoms, function, health-related quality of life and safety with repeated subcutaneous administration of ponsegromab versus placebo in adult participants with heart failure.
• CARDINAL-HF – A Phase 2, Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study to Assess the Effectiveness of CRD-740 in Subjects with Chronic Heart Failure (HFrEF <40%)
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• J3E-MC-EZDB: entitled “A Phase 2, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of LY3540378 in Adults with Worsening Chronic Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF)”
• Rehab-HFpEF: Physical Rehabilitation for Older Patients with Acute Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.
• 5ARTISAN : A Phase 4, Prospective, Multicenter, Single-Arm Study of a Mean Pulmonary Artery Pressure-Targeted Approach with Early and Rapid Treprostinil Therapy to Reverse Right Ventricular Remodeling in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: ARTISAN (Afterload Reduction To Improve Right Ventricular Structure And FuNction)
• CardioSeq: A prospective, single-center, open-label study to evaluate the impact of whole genome sequencing (WGS) in individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD)
• ACHIEVE P4: PATHFINDER: a randomized, blinded clinical trial of portable air cleaners (PAC) provided at the time of hospital discharge to Heart Failure (HF) patients

Clinical and preventive cardiology

• Henry Ford Heart Score Trial - Randomized Trial of Low-risk Chest Pain in the Emergency Department
• Symptoms of ACS: substudy of the TRAPID-AMI study
• REACTION-US Trial- Diagnostic Utility of a delta 1-hr rule-out AMI protocol using hs-cTnT
• STOP-CP Trial- hs-CTnT to Optimize Chest Pain Risk Stratification
• Siemens hs-cTnI Trial- Specimen Collection in the Emergency Department for the Assessment of Clinical Performance of Troponin Assays
• CTQJ230A12301: A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial assessing the impact of lipoprotein (a) lowering with TQJ230 on major cardiovascular events in patients with established cardiovascular disease
• Cardiac Sarcoidosis Consortium: an international, multicenter registry among physicians and allied professionals at major medical centers with the unifying purpose to learn more about cardiac sarcoidosis through collaborative research.
• HIIT Bariatric: The effect of high intensity interval training and surgical weight loss on distal symmetric polyneuropathy outcomes
• ZEUS: Effects of ziltivekimab versus placebo on cardiovascular outcomes in participants with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and systemic inflammation
• ION-682884-CS2: A Phase 3 Global, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of ION-682884 in Patients with Transthyretin-Mediated Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM)
• RACE-IT: Rapid Acute Coronary Syndrome Exclusion using high sensitivity cardiac troponin I: A stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial
• CV027-031 (OdysseyHCM): A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study to Evaluate Mavacamten in Adults with Symptomatic Non-obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
• DiscoverHCM: deliver insights in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and observational outcomes in real world: United States prospective registry study
• EVOLVE-MI: A Pragmatic Randomized Multicenter Trial of Evolocumab Administered Very Early to Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Events in Patients Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction
• VICTORION-2 PREVENT: A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, assessing the impact of Inclisiran on major adverse cardiovascular events in participants with established cardiovascular disease
• VICTORION-1 PREVENT: A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study to evalaute the effect of inclisiran on preventing major adverse cardiovascular events in high-risk primary prevention patients
• PROVE Trial - Promote Weight Loss in Obese PAD Patients to Prevent Mobility Loss
• INTERCEDE TRIAL- Intermittent Pneumatic Compression With and Without Exercise to Improve Functioning in Peripheral Artery Disease
• PACE SETTER Study (Improving Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Using Target Heart Rate Trial)- A randomized trial to test the hypothesis that exercise training in cardiac rehabilitation guided by an individualized target heart rate based on a maximal exercise test results in larger improvements in exercise tolerance compared to exercise training without a maximal exercise test.
• HEARTCamp Connect: a prospective randomized 3-group repeated measures experimental design with four data collection points (baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months). This 3-group randomized controlled trial compares 2 interventions to promote long-term adherence to exercise in adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We will test a virtual group (HEART Camp Connect) and in-person group (HEART Camp) against each other and against virtual enhanced usual care (EUC)

Recent or ongoing fellow clinical research topics/opportunities

• Cardiac rehabilitation and chronic heart failure
• Exercise training for heart failure and PVD
• Exercise training in patients with ICDs
• Exercise training in patient with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction
• Association of clinical and demographic factors with cardiopulmonary performance in heart failure
• Cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with left ventricular assist devices
• Timing of referral to cardiac rehabilitation after cardiac events
• Beta blockers in patients with heart failure with normal and reduced ejection fraction
• Renal dysfunction in patients with heart failure
• Valve repair during left ventricular assist device implantation
• ICD settings and outcomes
• Role of nonpharmacologic EP-based interventions in improving outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure
• Arrhythmia and shock burden in different ICD populations
• Surface ECG findings and predicting myocardial viability
• Fragmented QRS studies
• Imaging guidance of ablation procedures in congenital heart disease
• SGLT2 inhibitors after catherer ablation for a fib in diabetes
• Cardiac biomarkers and outcomes in acute coronary syndrome
• Cardiac biomarkers in the clinical decision unit setting
• Cardiac biomarkers in hypertensive crisis
• Cardiac biomarkers in patients undergoing cardiotoxic chemotherapy
• Chest pain qualities in acute coronary syndrome
• HEART score in the clinical setting
• Beta blockers and outcomes in STEMI
• Computer ECG read clinical correlations
• LBBB and the diagnosis of myocardial infarction
• 3D echocardiography and evaluation of cardiac function
• Traditional versus accelerated protocols in echo stress testing
• Assessing parameters to quantify the size and significance of pericardial effusions
• Different imaging modalities in assessing left atrial appendage size/ morphology
• Characteristics and outcomes of different nuclear pharmacologic stress drugs
• Nuclear imaging and cardiac dyssynchrony
• Traditional versus accelerated protocols in nuclear stress testing
• Racial differences and outcomes in SPECT
• Regadenoson PET outcomes
• MIBG studies
• Relationship of clinical/ imaging findings with coronary disease on coronary CT angiography
• Demographic variables and coronary plaque composition and burden in CTA
• Predictive value of coronary CT angiography on clinical outcomes
• Implications of coronary artery calcium on CT
• Cerebral protection during transcatheter aortic valve replacement
• Epicardial fat in various transcatheter interventions
• Optimal views in transcatheter therapies
• Outcomes in PFO closure
• Quantitative coronary angiography versus clinical interpretation
• Radial versus femoral access in STEMI
• Insulin resistance and atherosclerosis
• Microvascular dysfunction
• Psoriasis and CAD
• Yoga and cardiovascular outcomes
• Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and ventricular arrhythmias
• Atrial fibrillation and exercise training
• Ventricular ectopy during exercise
• Remote ischemic preconditioning
• Use of fitness trackers in improving clinical outcomes for women
• Research on transcaval SHD procedures and outcomes
• Health care disparities research in the SHD population
• Multiple SHD projects involving innovative procedures
• Research on outcomes and approaches to pulmonary embolism treatment
• Arrhythmias and sarcoidosis
• Right heart failure and LVADs
• Paradoxical low flow low gradient AS
• Risk stratification for systolic heart failure with CPEX and clinical variables
• Outcomes of primary and non-primary PCI at surgical and non-surgical sites
• Peri-Contrast Staining as a Marker of Stent Failure: Restenosis, Thrombosis, and Fracture
• Platelet reactivity testing
• Outcomes of transcaval Impella 5.0 use in cardiogenic shock
• Cardiogenic shock outcomes based on timing of admissions
• LV dysfunction in patients on right sided mechanical support
• Sex differences in MitraClip
• Balloon expandable vs self expandable interventions in valve-in-valve procedures
• Prosthesis mismatch in valve in valve and valve in ring mitral interventions
• Clinical outcomes in patients with tricuspid valve repair/replacement and RV lead implants
• 3D Printing for PVL closure
• Radial versus femoral in CTO interventions
• Closure devices in various procedures
• Stroke risk in noncardiac surgery in patients with PFO
• Upgrading mechanical circulatory support in worsening cardiogenic shock
• TandemHeart in cardiogenic shock
• Long term outcomes in the Detroit Cardiogenic Shock Initiative
• Many projects stemming from the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiatives
• Trends in the Outcomes of High-Risk Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Device-assisted Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
• Outcomes in Ischemic vs Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy in Cardiogenic Shock
• Vascular complications in large bore access procedures
• Use of mechanical circulatory support in SHD
• Ventricular Arrhythmias in Patients with Non-ischemic Cardiomyopathy
• Many projects focusing on COVID and cardiovascular disease including clinical predictors, outcomes, heart failure, cardiac implications, inflammatory markers, etc.
• Health care disparities research topics (e.g. hospitalization outcomes)
• Pulmonary embolism treatment options and outcomes
• ECG screening in amyloidosis
• Artificial intelligence/ machine learning projects

Basic science research areas

• Cardiac metabolism in heart failure
• The mitochondria in heart failure
• Pathophysiology and treatment of atrial fibrillation in heart failure
• Beta-3 antagonists for the treatment of acute heart failure
• Mitochondrial abnormalities in skeletal muscle: Role in exercise intolerance in patients with heart failure targeting peptides for the treatment of heart failure
• Stem cell conditioned media for the treatment of heart failure
• Animal models of cardiorenal syndrome
• Abnormalities of contractility and relaxation in heart failure
• Role of interstitial fibrosis in heart failure (HFpEF and HFrEF)
• Cardiac contractility modulation for the treatment of heart failure
• Genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics in heart failure

Clinical registries

• National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative (NCSI)
• The FIT Project- The Henry Ford Exercise Testing Project- stress testing database
• Henry Ford STEMI Registry
• Henry Ford Heart Failure Genomic Registry
• Henry Ford Liver and Renal Transplant Registry
• Henry Ford Cardiomyopathy Registry
• Henry Ford SPECT Registry
• Henry Ford Coronary CTA database
• Advanced cardiac imaging consortium Michigan CTA database
• Henry Ford Cardiac MRI database
• HF-Action- Exercise training in Heart Failure
• Multicenter cardiac sarcoidosis registry
• Retrospective HF and MI databases utilizing Corporate Data Store
• National Cardiovascular Data Registry
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan BMC2-PCI Registry - Percutaneous coronary intervention registry
• STS/ACC TVT Registry - Transcatheter valve replacement and repair procedures
• ACC LAAO Registry- covers Left Atrial Appendage Closure
• TOPAS-TAVI- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Patients with Low-Flow, Low Gradient Aortic Stenosis (Truly or Pseudo Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis). A Prospective Multicenter Registry.
• PROGRESS CTO REGISTRY- Multi center Registry of Chronic total Occlusion Interventions
• EAGLE Registry- Close Chested Epicardial Ligation of the Left Atrial Appendage in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Registry: A Multicenter Prospective Observational Cohort
• IRAD registry - aortic dissection registry
• Michigan Anticoagulation Quality Improvement Initiative
• THEME Registry- enrolling patients who receive TandemLife devices
• USPella Registry- enrolling patients who receive Impella devices
• MITRAL Registry- mitral valve in valve, valve in ring, valve in MAC registry for transcatheter mitral valve implantation using Sapien valves in the mitral position
• POMME-Registry
• Amplatzer PFO Closure: Post-approval registry for Amplatzer PFO devices
• NCDR: TVT and LAA-O in Structural heart
• CVAD registry- Shock and Impella
• INTERMACS- InterAgency Registry of Assisted Circ Support
• IMACS: ISHLT Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support Registry
• MCSRN: Mechanical Circulatory Support Research Network 
• Preventive Cardiology Outcomes (PRECO) database
• US Caval Valve Registry
• Michigan Structural Heart Consortium (MISHC)
• WIP- the Weight Intervention Project-weight management program database
• FlowTriever All-Comer Registry for Patient Safety and Hemodynamics (FLASH)
• Can Escalation Reduce Acute Myocardial Infarction Mortality in Cardiogenic Shock (CERAMICS Study)
• Cangrelor in Acute Myocardial Infarction: Effectiveness and Outcomes Registry (CAMEO Registry)