Children's Hospital Boston 300 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 355-6000
X
Clinical Services (Cardiovascular Program):
Ongoing Research
Back to Research
Cardiology Research
All senior medical staff members of the Department of Cardiology participate in clinical research activities, and many do laboratory research as well. Current projects include:
  • the use of inhaled nitric oxide to reduce pulmonary hypertension
  • the further development of innovative catheterization treatments for the treatment of complex cardiac diseases
  • the use of transcatheter radio-frequency ablation to treat both simple and complex arrhythmias
  • a multi-disciplinary clinical trial studying brain function following the effects of body cooling and blood thinning (hemodilution) during open heart surgery
  • a six-center study of HIV's effect on the hearts of infants and children
  • a study of the effects of a drug (Adriamycin) on heart function is survivors of childhood cancer
  • a study of pH management strategy in infant heart surgery
  • a cross-sectional study on long-term outcome after the Fontan procedure
  • population-based studies of clinical outcomes and resource utilization for congenital heart defects
  • improved approaches to protecting the heart and brain in infants and children during surgical procedures
  • the design and creation of heart valves using a patient's own tissue
  • the design and evaluation of new therapeutic catheters and techniques
  • the design and evaluation of three-dimensional electrophysiological mapping techniques
  • control of the body's inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass and surgery
  • evaluation of the biophysics of radio-frequency ablation to treat arrhythmia
  • featured researchers in the Department of Cardiology hold faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School
Cardiac Surgery Research
The Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory houses a multidisciplinary team of investigators involved in basic and applied research who study mechanisms of heart disease and new treatments for children with congenital heart defects.

The principal areas of active research are:

  • Surgical robotics and ultrasound guided intracardiac surgery. The department is pioneering the use of 3-D ultrasound and laparoscopic techniques to operate on the beating heart.

  • Myocardial metabolism and myocardial hypertrophy and heart failure. Researchers are exploring new methods of myocardial preservation during heart surgery and the role of angiogenic growth factors in heart failure.

  • Tissue engineering to stimulate the growth of new tissue to repair congenital defects, including valve abnormalities, right ventricular defects, and arrhythmias.
The division also is developing a fetal cardiac surgery laboratory that will be conducting several clinical research projects including those to:
  • evaluate techniques to remodel the right ventricle after repair of tetralogy of Fallot
  • determine optimal hematocrit levels to prevent neurologic injury during cardiopulmonary bypass
Featured researchers in the Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory hold faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School.
X
X The information on this website should not be taken as medical advice,
which can only be given to you by your personal health care professional.
X
X Copyright © Children's Hospital Boston. All rights reserved.