Dr. Maria Canossa-Terris

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both women and men in the United States and strikes someone every 42 seconds.

Over the past decade there has been dramatic progress in the fight against heart disease. While the burden and risk factors remain alarmingly high, the death rate has fallen about 38% and we are confident of continued advances with your ongoing support.

Miami Heart Research Institute and Florida Heart Research Foundation want to remind you that heart disease is largely preventable and that you can lower your risk by eating a healthy diet, getting daily aerobic exercise, and avoiding tobacco.

Miami Heart Research Institute welcomes two members to its Board of Trustees. Mrs. Jacqueline Skaf and Dr. Jose Adams both bring impressive experience and expertise to our organization.

Mrs. Skaf brings a long history in finance and community service. She was CFO at Skaf Construction Inc., a company she helped build, led Development at the UM School of Nursing and was a Management Consultant at Touche Ross & Company. She served on the Board of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and Young Patronesses of the Opera. Her volunteer efforts also include Columbia University, Boston College, and the United Way of Miami Dade, just to name a few.

Dr. Jose Adams is a distinguished physician and researcher. He is Chief/Director of Neonatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center and is an Attending Neonatologist at Miami Children's Hospital as well as the Director of the Neonatal Cardio Pulmonary Research Laboratory. He is also a Professor of Pediatrics at Florida International University and a Volunteer Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Miami. Dr. Adams has published many articles in professional journals and has given numerous presentations before professional societies both national and international.

Nancy Cavalie Executive Director

Miami Heart Research Institute and Florida Heart Research Foundation awarded a research grant to the University of Miami, Department of Medicine for cardiovascular research studies over the next five years.

The 2016 Research Recipients/Projects are:

• Dr. Nanette Bishopric will investigate molecular changes seen in cardiac hypertrophy (enlargement/thickening of the heart), looking into the signal that leads to this abnormal thickening and ways to inhibit that kind of heart condition.
• Dr. Chunming Dong will study the molecular mechanisms by which cocaine effects the cardiovascular system, thereby laying the groundwork for targeting interventions. Cocaine use increases both heart rate and blood pressure, while it constricts the arteries supplying blood to the heart, decreasing oxygen supply. This often causes a heart attack even in healthy people. Cocaine accounts for almost one-third of emergency room visits for drug abuse.
• Dr. Robert Myerburg plans to study family members of patients who have Long-QT syndrome to identify the genetic mutation that underlies this condition.  The Long-QT syndrome is a defect of the heart's electrical activity that may cause dangerous, fast and chaotic heartbeats (arrhythmias) that can result in sudden death.
• Dr. Lina Shehadeh will look into the cellular mechanisms underlying fibrosis of the heart which is a pathologic thickening of the heart which leads to abnormal relaxation of the muscle, a process that contributes to the development of heart failure.

On January 30, 2016, Kids Tag Art, in conjunction with Florida Heart Research Foundation, presented its Heart Smart Art Awards to young local artists in Polk County at the beautiful Polk Museum of Art. Children in Polk County are helping to spread awareness of heart disease. The event was hosted by Nancy Cavalie, Executive Director of Florida Heart Research Foundation and Joe Tedder, the Polk County Tax Collector. 

Students receiving awards were as follows:

Nancy Cavalie, Executive Director of the Miami Heart Research Institute presented Patricia Messmer, Ph.D., R.N. of Miami Dade College School of Nursing with the 2016 Joan K. Stout, R.N. Nursing Scholarship Award.  This award will be used to provide a scholarship to a cardiovascular nursing student of distinction.

You can switch your Florida license plate to a STOP HEART DISEASE tag at no cost.  Future renewals will go to the Florida Heart Research Foundation for research, education and prevention of cardiovascular disease.