Pennsylvania allocates $5 million for neurodegenerative disease research

Centre on Aging Research Affiliates Drs. Cornish, Duhamel, and Villar are co-authors Dihogo Gama de Matos was the 2021–2022 Jack MacDonell Scholarship recipient. de Matos, D. G., de Santana, J. L., Aidar, F. J., Cornish, S. M., Giesbrecht, G. G., Nunes-Silva, A., Raj, S. R., Romero-Ortuno, R., Duhamel, T. A., & Villar, R. (2025). Short-Term Cardiovascular Compensatory Responses to Varying Levels of Orthostatic Stress During Active Standing in Older Adults. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(20), 7202. https://lnkd.in/egCBGabJ 

Our new paper, "Randomized Comparison of Online Motivational Themes in Clinical Trial Recruitment" was published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. We tested whether different motivational themes could improve recruitment rates for a hypertension trial, particularly among underrepresented populations. Turns out messages about community well-being, personal health benefits, and access to perks all did better than the traditional "contribute to science" messaging. I enjoyed working with amazing collaborators at Johns Hopkins Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont, funded by the American Heart Association, and it reflects our effort to understand what motivational strategies can improve clinical trial recruitment. https://lnkd.in/e9DqBiyh

At the Samuel A. Levine Early Career Clinical Investigator Award #AHA25 Ozan Unlu, MD, MBI presents our work demonstrating proof-of-concept that CAD PRS-based prognostic enrichment can significantly improve the efficiency of primary prevention cardiovascular trials, offering potential reductions in trial duration and sample size. https://lnkd.in/dzfSxKGC Mass General Brigham Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

2025 Fellow profile: Dr Michael Hackmann Dr. Michael Hackmann is a Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia, specializing in medical imaging and respiratory disease diagnostics. Dr Hackmann’s project aims to revolutionize the diagnosis of tracheomalacia—a condition affecting around 15 children annually in Western Australia—by introducing a light-based imaging technique that reveals airway cartilage structure during bronchoscopy. Current diagnostic methods are unreliable due to variable factors and cannot detect the root cartilage issue, making it difficult to predict which children will recover or need treatment. By studying 60 children at Perth Children’s Hospital, the research will validate this new approach, enabling faster, safer, and more accurate diagnoses with the potential to improve long-term outcomes.

The CHELsea II trial (cluster randomised trial of clinically assisted hydration in the last days of life) is being analysed / written up. The first paper from the trial is now available (open access) - it provides Important feedback from informal carers about their experiences of participation in this interventional end-of-life trial. Dr Michael Connolly NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) NIHR Research Delivery Network University of Surrey Trinity College Dublin University College Dublin UCD School Of Medicine Our Lady's Hospice & Care Services, Harold's Cross, Blackrock & Wicklow Hospice UK Marie Curie UK Sue Ryder Care

IUCB post-doctoral fellow Tom Doyle and Faculty Investigator Colin Halverson were recently interviewed by Nicola Miller of Rare Revolution Magazine about the latest research from the IUCB, "Improving Social Media-Based Support Groups for the Rare Disease Community: Interview Study with Patients and Parents with Rare Undiagnosed Diseases." The study, qualitative interviews with 31 participants, revealed that patients and families use social media as a resource for: information gathering and critical engagement, emotional and social support, local connections and practical support, communication efficiency and privacy, but can also have potential downsides. Using these findings, the research team has developed actionable recommendations (such as the creation of a community guide and the compilation of official resources and documents in a shared files section) that it intends to disseminate in order to assist creators and moderators of these communities. For more information, read the complete interview here: https://lnkd.in/g_hrY8rt

Excited to share an example application of the Oracle Health & Life Sciences AI Data Platform. By leveraging real-world data from more than 120 million longitudinal, anonymized patient records, we’ve helped establish one of the nation’s largest ALD cohorts. Insights from this cohort will be powered by our “AI researcher” agent system that leverages hundreds of specialized biomedical and health data tools, multi-agent planning, low latency chat with your data, agent-based data discovery, and in-domain validation. I’m inspired by the potential of how our platform can accelerate health research, drive discovery, and ultimately advance human health.

KUDOS to Carlo Andrea Pivato @giulio stefanini to have presented at #TCT2025 our REVIVAL-PCI registry that started many years ago when PCI after TAVI seems to be not a big issue… The study is now fully available: https://lnkd.in/d2U5CPvp Published on JACC CI 🚨 New data from the multicenter REVIVAL-PCI Registry (21 European centers, 2008–2023) Coronary access after TAVI can be challenging, especially with tall-framed valves (TFV) — but does this translate into worse outcomes after PCI? Key findings 👇 • 441 patients undergoing PCI after TAVI (230 SFV vs 211 TFV) • Primary endpoint: 4-year MACE (CV death, MI, stroke) • Result: No significant difference (HR 1.13, p = 0.67) • Mortality, MI, and stroke also comparable between valve types 🔹 Take-home message: PCI after TAVI is feasible and safe with both valve designs — potential access complexity with TFV does not worsen long-term outcomes. Next step: evaluate new-generation valves and refined alignment techniques!!! #TAVI #PCI #InterventionalCardiology #StructuralHeart #CardiologyResearch

Exciting things are on the horizon. The Los Angeles Institute for Metabolic Research — a state-of-the-art clinical research center dedicated to diabetes, weight management, metabolic liver disease, and related conditions — will soon open in downtown Los Angeles on the campus of Dignity Health – California Hospital Medical Center. 📅 AUTUMN 2025: Community outreach and preparation for the Institute's launch 📅 DECEMBER 2025: Los Angeles Institute for Metabolic Research opens its doors 📅 EARLY 2026: First clinical trials begin enrollment 🔗 Learn more at https://metabolic.la/.

Founded in 2016, Louisiana’s ECHO program unites researchers from Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Ochsner Health System, Tulane University, and LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans with leading pediatric clinicians at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. This collaboration brings together research capabilities and two free-standing children’s hospitals in the state, with a third under construction. To view the full article, visit https://lnkd.in/gsCV2e7e