NHLBI In the News: Jackson Heart Study Director Herman Taylor Jr., cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, pulmonary hypertension, and breast cancer

September 15, 2014: Princeton Alumni WeeklyDirecting a landmark study of heart disease, Herman Taylor Jr. ’76 took on more than medicineKatherine Hobson

Dr. Herman Taylor Jr., Director of the NHLBI-funded Jackson Heart Study is featured in Princeton Alumni Weekly (PAW). Dr. Taylor became the Director and Endowed Professor of the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) of the Morehouse School of Medicine in July. In his new position, Dr. Taylor wants to take approaches drawn from the heart study and other research and see if he can help improve outcomes. He plans to explore new ways to help people change their habits, with possibilities including using digital technology such as mobile phones to disseminate information in accessible ways.

September 10, 2014: News from The University of TennesseeInstructor Weiqiang Zhang of UTHSC receives more than $1.8 million grant for cystic fibrosis research

Weiqiang Zhang, PhD, an instructor in the Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), has received a grant totaling $1,874,750 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health, for research on cystic fibrosis. The grant, to be distributed over a five-year period, will be used to support a project titled, “Characterization of an Inhibitory Protein Complex for Cystic Fibrosis Therapy.”

September 10, 2014: News Medical
SCD patients who experience discrimination are less likely to follow physician recommendations

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is the most common genetic condition detected by newborn screening in the United States. Problems of a lack of a universal cure and few treatment options are compounded by the fact that many patients don't take available medications correctly, says Carlton Haywood Jr., lead author of a new study looking at the root of this vexing issue. This research was funded by the NHLBI.

September 10, 2014: University of Illinois at Chicago News CenterResearchers find new targets for treating pulmonary hypertensionSharon Parmet

Two new potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, a deadly disease marked by high blood pressure in the lungs, have been identified by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Their findings are reported in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. This research was supported by the NHLBI.

September 4, 2014: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Researchers receive $4.4 million in federal funds to determine if statin drug can prevent heart problems in breast cancer patients

The National Institutes of Health awarded Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center $4.4 million to conduct a multiple-site clinical trial testing the effectiveness of a statin drug in preventing cardiovascular events in women treated for breast cancer.