Research Department of Preclinical and Fundamental Science 

The core goal of the Research Department for Pre-clinical and Fundamental Science is to understand fundamental biological processes that control the development and functions of the vasculature and the heart and to translate this knowledge into treatments for human cardiovascular diseases.

Key programmes of research include: annotation of genes relevant to human cardiovascular disease; transcription factors controlling oncogenesis and heart development and their role in diseases such as hypertension and diabetes; the development of genetically modified biological heart valves for improved durability; strategies for protection against ischaemia and reperfusion injury in the heart; development of novel therapeutic approaches for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Our research department is engaged in many teaching activities, including running an IBSc programme in Cardiovascular Science and a popular Heart & Circulation BSc/MSc course as well as supporting the MSc in Cardiovascular Science and UCL PhD programmes funded by the British Heart Foundation and the MRC. 

Our Department includes the following Groups:

• The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute
• Cardiovascular Surgery 
• Centre for Cardiovascular Physiology and Pharmacology
• The Frankel Lab
• Functional Gene Annotation
• Molecular Biology Development and Disease (MBDD) Laboratories  

Collaborative Work

We also work collaboratively with a number of departments across UCL:

• Cardiovascular Imaging