UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science

One of Dr Meier’s key areas of focus is on the evaluation of new therapies and devices in the Interventional Cardiology arena. Dr Meier is working closely with Yale University (New Haven, CT, USA) in the Yale-UCL Collaborative to develop and test new cardiovascular devices for the future.

The collateral circulation of the heart is a system of small inter-connecting vessels which can be regarded as ‘natural bypasses’. The aim is to find ways to therapeutically induce the growth of such collateral to reduce the burden of coronary artery disease. Researchers from UCL, University of Bern, Yale University and other international collaborators examined the role of natural bypass vessels called coronary collaterals in patients with blocked arteries. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, shows patients with lots of these vessels have a 36% reduced risk of mortality, highlighting their importance as a therapeutic target.