This award, created in 1970, goes to young investigators working in clinical or basic-science cardiovascular research. The investigator must be either a research trainee or researcher in his or her first independent university or hospital appointment at the time of submission.

Dr. Darryl Davis, Runner Up - 2009

D Davis

Window into a New World of Research

A clinical electrophysiologist at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Dr. Davis is building on work done in Los Angeles with his mentor, Dr. Eduardo Marbán, using adult cardiac stem cells to regenerate heart tissue.

“We have developed methods to actually grow a patient’s own heart stem cells directly from routine heart biopsies. We expand these cells in a Petri dish and inject them back into damaged hearts,” he explains. “The best location to inject is at the border of the scar as it’s still getting blood supply, so cells can form new heart tissue or blood vessels.”

When injected into damaged hearts, these cells significantly improve myocardial function. Their source predestines them to form heart cells (embryonic stem cells have a greater potential to form something different) and because they are not being introduced to a foreign environment, rejection is much less likely.

This strategy is emerging as a new frontier in adult cardiac stem cell biology and a very promising alternative to transplantation and ventricular assist devices.

“It’s a great opportunity to be at the beginning of a whole new field,” he says. “The goal is to improve heart function and help patients feel better. Can this method replace transplants? That’s another story.”