Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) Cardiovascular Research Systemwide Campaign

Cardiovascular research has been a mainstay at Main Line Health since 1927 when the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) was founded, and it continues today with our program playing an important role in transforming the field of cardiovascular medicine from traditional to non-invasive therapies. Investing in the following strategic initiatives will help us push the boundaries of science and spearhead new treatments.

Renovating LIMR for patient data-driven clinical and population research

The digital age has created new ways of conducting research, including critically combing electronic medical records to identify trends in clinical findings. Our scientists are pioneering new cardiovascular population health initiatives, allowing us to connect trends in data that have remained undiscoverable until now. The initiatives present the need to reconfigure some of LIMR's research infrastructure to optimize lab space for these data-intensive operations.

Enhancing technology: Cardiovascular research equipment

As LIMR continues to attract high-caliber physician-scientists and retain our already-stellar research faculty, we must maintain and upgrade our research equipment to stay on the cutting edge of technology. Support of technology and equipment broadens our research enterprise, enhances recruitment ability and keeps LIMR on the forefront of cardiovascular research now and in the future. Acquisition and upgrade of research equipment is needed at varying giving levels that support all stages of cardiovascular research from basic science to translational research to clinical trials.

Driving innovation: Research to advance noninvasive methods in cardiothoracic surgery

Coupled with the internationally renowned Lankenau Heart Institute, LIMR research surgeons seek philanthropic support for innovative studies to test surgical techniques for less invasive therapies and improved outcomes. We strive to build a competitive academic home for young surgeons that enables us to successfully recruit and train the best fellows in the field, generate high-end publications and presentations and educate others in treating patients using evidence-based modalities.

Lankenau Initiative for Improved Cardiovascular Access (LIICA)

Cardiovascular outcomes are demonstrably worse for underserved communities, and LIICA is aimed at ensuring our local underserved patients have access to the resources they need to recover from significant cardiac events and remain healthy, with the goal of improving long-term outcomes and saving lives. The strategy is to provide secondary cardiovascular event prevention care by first understanding the unique individual and environmental factors this population faces and then working to address these challenges. We have already seen marked improvements on an individual level, and we strive to grow our pilot program so we can study the impact of this comprehensive care approach. Ultimately, we hope to build a scalable and replicable program that can have impact far beyond our initial pilot program and service area.

Propelling discovery: Clinical trial to illuminate a key cardiometabolic risk factor

LIMR is on the path to what could be a massive clinical advance for cardiometabolic disease. LIMR scientists have discovered a pathogenic metabolite called 3DG that may be a clinical indicator of diabetes, akin to the role cholesterol plays in heart disease. Philanthropic support for this discovery will
fund a pilot clinical trial to measure 3DG in patients and thus better understand variations and individual predisposition to develop diabetes and its complications.

Learn more about other LIMR funding priorities

Breakthrough Medicines Fund
Lankenau Institute for Medical Research funding priorities

To learn more about any of these opportunities, please email Katie Beddis, Executive Director of Development for Lankenau Medical Center at [email protected].