The Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Department is based at Castle Hill Hospital. Our research projects include commercial, non-commercial and in-house clinical trials which cover a wide variety of heart conditions such as Coronary Heart Disease (including angina and heart attack), arrhythmias such as Atrial Fibrillation (AF), heart failure (reduction in the heart’s ability to pump), disturbances to the heart’s rhythm and other cardiac and related disorders. We conduct a number of clinical trials involving a range of treatments for these conditions such as PCI (PPCI), coronary artery bypass graft, valve surgery, ablation, treatment with various medications and cardio-pulmonary exercise tests. We aim to focus on studies that will benefit our patient groups and improve the care and/or treatment we are currently providing.

Our past and current research interests include:

• Drug studies looking at new anti-coagulation treatments for atrial fibrillation ablation.
• New treatments for managing high cholesterol in patients with heart disease and acute coronary syndrome, including genetics.
• New practices to manage patients who have had a heart attack requiring PPCI/PCI.
• Studies comparing strategies for managing patients with exertional angina.
• A number of observational studies looking at atrial fibrillation management.
• Improving patient outcomes in patients with CAD or arrhythmias.
• Post cardiac surgery rehabilitation programmes.
• Pre cardiac surgery treatment optimisation.
• Post thoracic surgery pain assessment.
• Quality of life after cardiac surgery.
• Valve replacement surgical approach.
• Post valve replacement anti coagulation therapies.
• Chronic heart failure.
• Heart failure with normal ejection fraction.
• Pacemakers – cardiac resynchronisation therapy.
• Implantable defibrillators.
• Pulmonary hypertension.
• Ischaemic heart disease.
• People at risk of developing heart failure.
• Risk assessment.