Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of disability and premature death in American men and women. Almost every adult has had at least one family member or close friend affected, and while progress has been made, much more needs to be done. The best way to advance cardiovascular medicine is by integrating stellar scientists and clinicians who develop cutting-edge interventions and technologies for patient care. However, limitations in conventional funding processes – particularly government agencies – can paradoxically slow the rate of testing truly new ideas. The UCLA Cardiovascular Discovery Fund (CDF) has been established to facilitate synergy with traditional research funding that will optimize the generation and testing of new hypotheses.

The objective of the CDF is to target promising, novel research strategies that will expedite the acquisition and translation of basic science results into clinical applications for patients with cardiovascular disease. Once germinated through CDF resources, the best new medical advancements in heart and other blood vessel disorders will progress into traditionally funded research programs.