The has previously operated under the shared ownership of UofL and the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence. JHFE has relinquished its ownership and real estate interest, valued at more than $16 million.

The university took the opportunity to mark the occasion by recognizing and thanking JHFE for its support.

“Since 2006, the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute has provided world-class resources for UofL faculty researchers and physicians to study the myriad of causes of cardiovascular disease and develop ways to treat and ultimately cure it,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “We thank the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence for being our worthy partner in this effort and promise that we will continue this important work for the health of current and future generations to come.”

The move to UofL’s sole ownership has been planned for some time and coincided with JHFE’s continued evolution into a purely grant-making organization. 

“We are proud to have been a part of the CII and its mission to improve lives through world-class cardiovascular research, scientific discovery and new enterprise creation,” said Linda Schuster, JHFE Board of Trustees chair. “We look forward to seeing amazing discoveries from the CII in the years and decades ahead.”

Since its opening in 2006, the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute has been engaged in leading edge research for the development, testing, regulatory approval and clinical evaluation of game-changing technologies. The institute employs a multidisciplinary team of investigators to address the complete spectrum of causes and treatments for cardiovascular disease.

“In Kentucky alone, cardiovascular-related diseases account for close to 75 percent of all deaths,” said Toni Ganzel, dean of the UofL School of Medicine. “The CII conducts basic, clinical, translational and population research in cardiovascular disease as it affects individuals throughout their entire lifespan.”

The team has led and secured nearly $39 million in external grants and contracts, with $28 million focused toward innovative cardiovascular-assist devices. These technologies have ranged from the exploration of new cell-based platforms for the revascularization of cardiovascular and neural tissues, to the creation of chambers for surgery in outer space and battlefield environments, to the investigation of novel mechanical devices to aid a patient’s heart in circulating blood throughout the body. All of these technologies were created with the sole intent of improving the quality of life of heart failure patients. 

Initial funding to construct the facility and to support research was provided by Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Healthcare, KentuckyOne Health’s predecessor, along with UofL, Kosair Charities, the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and Department of Commercialization and Innovation and the Gheens Foundation. Federal appropriations were secured through the efforts of Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Laman Gray, MD, Jewish Hospital Chair in Cardiovascular Surgery at UofL, is executive and medical director of the CII. An internationally-recognized leader in the fields of cardiac surgery and development of artificial hearts and circulatory support systems, Gray’s accomplishments include performing the first heart transplant in Kentucky in 1984 and the first bridge to heart transplant after the use of a Thoratec Bi-Ventricular Assist Device in the United States in 1985. He also performed the first clinical use of ABIOMED’s SupraCor intra-aortic balloon pump and was one of the four primary clinical investigators that brought ABIOMED’s BVS 5000 temporary cardiac support system to clinical approval by the FDA. In 2001 Gray and his surgical team implanted the first artificial heart into Robert Tools, who lived five additional months on the device.

Video from the news conference is available below: 

The $500,000 gift to the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the UofL School of Medicine establishes the James Ryan Fund for Cardiovascular Biomarker Research. Ryan pledged the gift before he passed away at age 81 in 2018.

“Thanks to Jim, we can help physicians everywhere in diagnosing what is one of the most common causes of death in the world,” DeFilippis said. “He was always interested in others and what their dreams were, their goals in life, their happiness and how he could help.”

The fund will support annual operating expenses for the research led by DeFilippis, who is director of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and an associate professor in cardiovascular medicine at UofL. DeFilippis is an expert in cardiovascular diseases and cardiac intensive care. His research focuses on cardiovascular risk prediction and the identification of biomarkers that will allow physicians to diagnose the cause of different types of heart attacks, also called myocardial infarction.

A heart attack is death of heart muscle. There are many causes, including the most well-recognized that occurs when one of the heart’s coronary arteries is suddenly blocked or has very slow blood flow secondary to the formation of a blood clot.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease progresses over time, allowing time for screening and early detection. Advances in biomarker research and other developments have led to more sensitive screening methods and a greater emphasis on early detection and diagnosis.

“We’re working to develop biomarkers that will allow clinicians to differentiate among the many different types of heart attacks that can occur,” DeFilippis said. “Not all are the same, and even in the medical community that’s not always given much thought. But if we can differentiate, it will help us better treat patients, allowing us to limit or stop heart damage.”

A biomarker is a biological characteristic that can be measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biological or pathological processes or a response to a therapeutic intervention. Examples include patterns of gene expression, levels of a particular protein in body fluids or changes in electrical activity in the heart.

Ryan, an active philanthropist and retired insurance executive, suffered from a heart condition himself. A native of Pittsburgh who graduated from UofL and lived most of his life in Louisville, he was on a quest to ensure his estate went to good use. He and DeFilippis forged a friendship through their activities with the American Heart Association. He visited DeFilippis’ lab within the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine several times, even bringing a group of friends.

“He was really involved – he was more than a donor,” DeFilippis said. “He gave advice and offered assistance in business, enabling us to partner with industry to bring our discoveries to market. We really enjoyed his company. The two of us went to lunch several times and talked about lots of things – the lab, his struggles with congestive heart failure and his bucket list. He had a great sense of humor.

“He was an extraordinarily happy man with a deep voice that was very distinctive,” DeFilippis said. “We will certainly miss his presence and his inspiring words about the work we were doing. We take it as a tremendous compliment that he chose to donate to us. Jim was looking for a quality program, great ideas and things that really make sense to improve the health of world.

DeFilippis and one of his colleagues, Patrick Trainor, PhD, recently were invited editorialists for a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine that indicates current risk calculators for heart attack and stroke can sometimes be wrong, significantly overestimating some people’s risk while underestimating others’ risk. As a result, many people may be unnecessarily taking medication to control risk factors such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and others may not be getting enough treatment. The researchers developed a new risk calculation method with a more sophisticated statistical model and newer population data, suggesting it could be more accurate.