Heart Research UK is a national charity organisation in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. They fund medical research in to the prevention, treatment and cure of

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

, as well as community projects aimed at improving the public’s heart health. Since its foundation, Heart Research UK has funded over £25 million of research into heart disease and related conditions.

Foundation and Milestones

Heart Research UK was founded as the ‘National Heart Research Fund’ in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

in 1967 by eminent cardiovascular surgeon Mr David Watson, with the aim of making heart surgery safer. Following the death of a young patient after a long heart operation, Mr Watson launched an appeal with the Yorkshire Evening Post to raise funds to research ways to improve the safety of heart surgery. Heart Research UK funded the first hospital-based cardiac research unit in the UK, at Killingbeck Hospital in Leeds. Whilst working here, Mr Watson developed a tissue valve in 1976 which became the prototype for many of the valves used in surgery today. In 1979, Heart Research UK funded six of the first eight successful heart transplants in the UK, which were carried out by

Sir Terence English Sir Terence Alexander Hawthorne English (born October 1932)'ENGLISH, Sir Terence (Alexander Hawthorne)', Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2013; online edn, Dec ...

at Papworth Hospital in

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...

. In 2000, Heart Research UK funded the implantation of the world’s first permanent artificial heart in to

Peter Houghton Peter Houghton (20 August 1938 – 25 November 2007) was the longest surviving artificial heart transplant patient in the UK. Houghton was implanted with a Jarvik 2000 heart pump at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England, by professor Steph ...

, at the John Radcliffe Hospital,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. Mr Houghton was fitted with a Jarvik 2000 pump, and is to this day a Guinness World Record holder for the ‘Longest surviving artificial heart transplant patient.’ In 2005, The National Heart Research Fund changed its name to Heart Research UK and later opened up a regional office in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

Grants

Heart Research UK funds medical research through a programme of grants. Novel and Emerging Technologies (NET) Grants, of up to £250,000, are awarded to research projects which focus on the development of new technologies to diagnose, treat and prevent heart disease and related conditions and Translational Research Project (TRP) Grants, are awarded for projects that transfer breakthroughs into practical tools that can be used for patient care. Heart Research UK also awards dedicated grants for

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, aimed at encouraging applications and supporting research at hospitals and universities across the whole of the UK. In 2018, building on the success of the Northern Ireland Grants, Heart Research UK launched a similarly dedicated grant for

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

Research

Current medical research being funded by Heart Research UK includes a project with the

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

and

Great Ormond Street Hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH or Great Ormond Street, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospital ...

to develop a much faster technique for imaging the hearts of babies born with congenital heart disease (CHD), a project at the

University of Leicester , mottoeng = So that they may have life , established = , type = public research university , endowment = £20.0 million , budget = £326 million , chancellor = David Willetts , vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah , head_labe ...

using electrocardiograms (ECG’s) to measure the risk of sudden cardiac death (SDC), and a project at the Bristol Heart Institute to repair the hearts of babies born with congenital heart disease (CHD) using stem cells from the umbilical cord.

Masterclasses

Since 2012, Heart Research UK have funded ‘Masterclasses’, in which leading international and UK experts give surgeons, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and other health professionals the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge. By the end of 2018, 15 masterclasses will have taken place, covering topics such as heart transplantation, imaging, mitral valve surgery, aortic surgery and exercise prescription for congenital heart disease.

Partnership with Subway

Since 2009, Heart Research UK has been partnered with Subway® to support customers’ choice for a low fat option. Together, they run the Heart Research UK and Subway® Healthy Heart grant scheme, an initiative that funds community projects to promote heart health across the UK. These grants are funded by in-store collections and a programme of 5K runs across the UK.

References

External links

Official website
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West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

Health charities in the United Kingdom Heart disease organizations Health in Yorkshire Organisations based in Leeds