“There are currently no treatments available developed specifically for dilated cardiomyopathy. This study will allow us to gain a better understanding of the key processes that cause this condition, which will aid the development of new more advanced therapies.
Dr Joseph Burgoyne, Senior Lecturer, Cardiovascular Sciences Section
20 March 2024
British Heart Foundation awards King's researcher almost £450,000 to lead heart disease project
The new project, led by Dr Joseph Burgoyne and co-investigators in Germany and the Netherlands, will receive the award from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) as part of a partnership with Dutch Heart Foundation (DHF) and German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK).
A new project led by Dr Joseph Burgoyne and co-investigators in Germany and the Netherlands, has been awarded almost £450,000 from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in a unique partnership with Dutch Heart Foundation (DHF) and German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK).
Dr Joseph Burgoyne will receive the award from the BHF for a project focused on understanding the underlying causes of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a disease of the heart muscle that can lead to heart failure or sudden cardiac arrest.
Though current treatments can manage the symptoms of DCM, these cannot stop the condition from worsening. This project will investigate how the genes that cause DCM weaken heart muscle cells and their ability to cope with the damage caused by free radicals.
With co-investigators from Germany and the Netherlands, Dr Burgoyne will look at the molecular switches that control gene expression, as well as utilise gene editing technology to re-write DNA, with the aim of applying discoveries to new possible treatments for DCM.
This project is one of four from other institutes of the UK, Germany and the Netherlands in a partnership between the British Heart Foundation (BHF), Dutch Heart Foundation (DHF) and German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK). Collectively, the researchers have been awarded over €5.2 million (approximately £4.7 million) to support their projects over the next four years.
We’re delighted to be funding these four ambitious projects in collaboration with our European partners. By joining forces to support the best and the brightest across our countries to work together on pressing problems, we can ensure the money donated by our generous supporters goes further to power more lifesaving research.”
Professor Metin Avkiran, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation & Professor of Molecular Cardiology at King’s
This intercontinental partnership, known as the International Cardiovascular Research Partnership Awards, supports mid-career researchers in tackling the most pressing questions of cardiovascular science and medicine. The award helps applicants pool and exchange their knowledge, expertise, and resources for their projects, while also establishing them as future leaders in their field of research.
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