This month marks the 50th anniversary of the François M. Abboud Cardiovascular Research Center (ACRC) at the University of Iowa’s Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, an immense milestone that celebrates half a century of groundbreaking research, clinical innovation, and educational excellence.

In spring 2023, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Frank Faraci, PhD, and Professor of Neurology and Radiology at Harvard Medical School, Eng Lo, PhD, sat down with Editor-in-Chief of the American Heart Association (AHA) Journal Circulation Research, Jane E. Freedman, MD, to discuss a possible new compendium for the journal.

Advanced electrophysiology procedures and techniques at Iowa offer new options for patients with heart rhythm disorders.

Ajit Vikram, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, received his first R01, a five-year, $2.5M award from the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. This project seeks to unveil how microbes in our gut influence heart health, especially under conditions that increase the heart’s workload.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a medical technology created by a University of Iowa faculty member to treat abnormal heart rhythms. Boston Scientific Corporation received FDA approval for the Farapulse™ Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System, a simple, cost-effective alternative to the standard-of-care thermal ablation treatment.

Santosh Kumar, PhD, assistant professor in Cardiovascular Medicine, was awarded a two-year, $110,000 pilot grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) to research endothelial function in relation to the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.

Jennifer Streeter, MD, PhD, associate of Internal Medicine-Cardiovascular Medicine, has received a two-year, $200,000 American Heart Association (AHA) Innovative Project Award, for her study, “Radiopaque Aptamer Dimers as Next Generation Contrast Agents.”

Chad Grueter, PhD, associate professor of Internal Medicine, will become Vice Chair for Research, effective July 1.

Jared McLendon, PhD, associate in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, has received a three-year, $231,000 American Heart Association (AHA) Career Development Award.

Jin-Young Yoon, PhD, research assistant professor in Cardiovascular Medicine, received a three-year, $231,000 American Heart Association (AHA) Career Development Award (CDA).