The past two decades have produced critical knowledge that has led to new insights into heart and cardiovascular disease, dramatically changing our thinking about the fundamental nature of the disease and our approach to its prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. By integrating three corresponding disciplines — molecular cardiology, regenerative cardiology, and cardiac imaging — the Institute has made great headway with new approaches that enhance patient care.

A Strong Foundation and New Paradigm
Cardiovascular disease is a growing global public health threat and the leading cause of death in the industrialized world. To respond to this epidemic, Mount Sinai leveraged its already well-established translational research program with the creation of the Cardiovascular Research Institute, which traces its roots back to another institute. Over a decade ago, the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute was created to more closely connect Mount Sinai’s research advances with the clinical practice of medicine. In 2006, the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute joined forces with the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Cardiovascular Health, forming Mount Sinai Heart. Today, the Cardiovascular Research Institute is the translational research hub of Mount Sinai Heart. "The Cardiovascular Research Institute has served as a destination for an extraordinary group of world-renowned scientists and clinicians who are fundamentally changing how we think about heart disease," says Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of the Institute, the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, and the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Cardiovascular Health; and the Richard Gorlin, MD/Heart Research Foundation Professor. "Our new research and clinical paradigm is promoting health not only of individuals but of the cardiovascular system, to prevent it from becoming diseased. Our approach is radically different and distinct from that of previous decades, when we focused on treating disease."