Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care to serve as coordinating site for new Transatlantic Network of Excellence

BOSTON, October 13, 2014 – Today, the electrophysiology service of the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care announces participation in a new Transatlantic Network of Excellence as part of a $6 million award from the Leducq Foundation. The Transatlantic Network of Excellence is made up of a team of researchers from around the world tasked with conducting first of its kind research on the genetic causes of atrial fibrillation (AF). The Institute will serve as the coordinating site in the United States (U.S.) and Amsterdam Medical Center will serve as the coordinating site for Europe. The Network will provide a platform for conducting cutting-edge and meaningful research into this common arrhythmia.

AF is an irregularity of the heart rhythm in which the electrical signals in the upper chambers of the heart or atria beat in an uncoordinated fashion. As a result of this irregular rhythm patients are at risk for developing strokes and congestive heart failure. It is estimated that nearly 3 million people in the U.S. and 4.5 million people in Europe suffer from AF.

Although recent research has successfully identified genetic variants that are associated with AF, there is a limited understanding of mechanisms through which these genetic variants lead to AF. The Transatlantic Network of Excellence will use novel “four-dimensional” analyses of genome interactions to understand the underlying mechanisms that lead to AF in affected patients. The results of the research will provide new insights into the cause of AF and provide new diagnostic tools and drug discoveries to reduce the burden of stroke, death, and hospitalizations associated with AF.

“It is very encouraging and impressive to see a group of experts with disparate backgrounds come together with the same goal in mind – to have the ability to identify the populations at greatest risk of atrial fibrillation,” said Patrick T. Ellinor, MD, PhD at the Mass General Institute for Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care. “We hope the discoveries of our research will not only provide insights into the cause of atrial fibrillation, but other diseases as well. Ultimately, with a better understanding of the underlying genetic mechanisms of atrial fibrillation, we can improve overall patient care.”

The Transatlantic Network of Excellence is comprised of a team of researchers from around the globe with diverse backgrounds. The unique collaboration includes the following experts:

• Patrick Ellinor, MD, PhD, Mass General Institute for Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care, U.S. Coordinator of the Network
• Ivan Moskowitz, MD, PhD, University of Chicago
• Jim Martin, MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston
• Vincent Christoffels, PhD, Amsterdam Medical Center, European Coordinator of the Network
• Wouter de Laat, PhD, Hubrecht Institute in the Netherlands
• Paulus Kirchhof, MD, Professor, University of Birmingham and Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust in Birmingham, United Kingdom

“Our role within the newly formed Network supports a core component of our mission at the Institute, which is to lead the charge in translational research, focusing not only on today's critical issues, but also by discovering the medicine of tomorrow,” said Dr. Michael R. Jaff, Chair, Mass General Hospital Institute for Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care. “As a coordinating site for the experts, we hope to create an environment in which information is shared and the conversations lead to innovation.”

The Transatlantic Network of Excellence entitled “Deciphering the Genomic Topology of Atrial Fibrillation” is funded by a $6 million award by the Leducq Foundation and will span over five years beginning in October 2014.

For more information about the Mass General Institute for Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care, please visit www.massgeneral.org/institute.

About Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care

The goal of the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care is to advance the diagnosis and treatment of heart, vascular and cerebrovascular conditions by providing comprehensive patient care while shaping the medicine of tomorrow. Under unified leadership from Mass General’s Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, the Vascular Center and the Stroke Service, the Institute is pioneering a new model that involves complete integration of clinical care and research across disciplines. This patient- and disease-focused model combines basic, translational, and clinical research with the expertise of a multi-specialty panel of expert scientists and clinicians. By bridging multiple disciplines, the leadership of the Mass General Institute for Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care is developing educational programs that reinforce the opportunities offered through integrated care, while also working to address critical issues of health policy and reform that will pave the way in quality patient care.

About Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the United States, with an annual research budget of more than $750 million and major research centers in AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, human genetics, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, transplantation biology and photomedicine. In July 2012, MGH moved into the number one spot on the 2012-13 U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Hospitals."