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Research at the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery

The academic research in cardiothoracic surgery is directed by Dr. Daniel Lee with active participation by Drs. Tak, Burack, and Terry. The effort includes several federally funded investigations directed at understanding the pathogenesis of cardiac disease on a molecular and whole organ level as well as elements of clinical outcome associated with cardiac surgery including factors that impact on other tissue sites. These studies have involved a range of methodologies that span different spatial and temporal scales and degree of invasiveness.

The following projects are currently active:

 

  • Neurocognitive dysfunction and cerebral perfusion in cardiac surgery.

    This project aims to delineate optical biomarkers predictive of neurological complications as a result of cardiac surgery by functional brain imaging. Funding Source: NINDS/NIH.

  • Autoimmnue response in ischemia-reperfusion.

    We are investigating the effects of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion on autoimmune response and the complement cascade. This may lead to novel diagnostic and treatment strategies for myocardial injury.
    Funding Source: NHLBI/NIH

  • Omega-3 fatty acids for prevention of post-operative atrial fibrillation.

    This is an international, multicenter, randomized clinical trial. Other participating sites in the United States include: Emory, Vanderbilt, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Washington University, and Brown University.
    Funding Sources: GlaxoSmithKlline, Pronova, Sigma-Tau, and the NIH.

  • Brain-computer interface and injury recovery.

    This is a multi-institutional effort lead by SUNY Downstate Medical Center to study the brain's plasticity, or ability to recover from injury.
    Funding Source: DARPA/Department of Defense.

  • Optical tomography in breast cancer diagnosis.

    We seek to validate metrics for breast cancer detection from a robotic, dual-sensing, functional optical imaging system. Funding Source: New York State Department of Health, DARPA/Department of Defense, and NCI/NIH.