Atrial Fibrillation Innovation Center

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News & Developments Archive

Dr. Jennifer Cummings' interview with MSNBC.com
Cleveland Clinic sponsors Annual AF Summit
First meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board a success
Construction begins on AFIC surgical center at Cleveland Clinic
Gillinov named PI of AFIC / Bentley tapped as Executive Director
University of Cincinnati Surgical Center a reality

Dr. Jennifer Cummings' interview with MSNBC.com:Do you have irregular heart beats?:

In a recent MSNBC.com interview, prominent Cleveland Clinic electrophysiologist and AFIC researcher Dr. Jennifer Cummings discussed causes and symptoms of heart arrhythmias, and how to diagnose and treat such conditions. Dr. Cummings was also featured in a segment on NBC’s the Today Show discussing cardiac stress in race car drivers during competition, and more broadly, advances in arrhythmia monitoring.

Cleveland Clinic sponsors Annual AF Summit:

Atrial Fibrillation Summit keeps getting better every year. The 4th Annual AF Summit concluded on September 17th in Aspen Colorado, and featured a distinguished international faculty presenting developments in the medical, interventional, and surgical treatments of AF, including cutting edge research into the etiologies of AF, new tools, genetics and autonomics. Advances in electrical therapies, ablation techniques and cardiac resynchronization were discussed and debated. The Cleveland Clinic sponsored the event, and was well represented as moderators and presenters. Please see AFIC Research Update for some of the presentations given by AFIC researchers.

First meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board a success:

On September 7th, AFIC held its first meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board. The AFIC Research Program Heads each summarized for the SAB their progress and plans of their research groups, and obtained constructive feedback about their programs. The SAB identified for the group new areas of research, possible commercial collaborators, and potential areas for collaborative research among groups. This independent evaluation is helping us evaluate our programs, clarify our goals, and strengthen our research efforts. In the coming months, we will report our progress and program changes to the SAB.

Construction begins on AFIC surgical center at Cleveland Clinic:

August saw the breaking ground on the dedicated AFIC animal research facilities at the Cleveland Clinic. This state-of-the-art animal operating facility will give AFIC researchers unprecedented abilities to investigate novel therapies for the treatment of AF, and to test and improve upon the next generation of medical devices being developed by AFIC researchers and our corporate partners for the diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation. The facilities are expected to be completed by mid-November. Click here to see the blueprint of the animal labs.

Gillinov named PI of AFIC / Bentley tapped as Executive Director:

In July, Dr. Marc Gillinov was officially named the new Principal Investigator of AFIC. “Marc’s dedication and vision, bo th as a surgeon and a leader of our research program, is invaluable to the long term success of AFIC. I cannot imagine a better partner to build on AFIC’s accomplishments than Marc,” says Alan Bentley, newly appointed Executive Director of AFIC. Alan was recruited to AFIC and CCF Innovations from the University of Virginia.

University of Cincinnati Surgical Center a reality:

The new Center for Surgical Innovation (CSI) at the University of Cincinnati was recently opened for collaborative research and discovery. The CSI is a 3,700 square foot core laboratory facility, located in the center of UC’s medical research campus. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, including 8 equipped surgical workstations for minimally invasive surgery (MIS), a research-dedicated 4-arm da Vinci robot, a sterile operating room, and meeting space for collaboration. The infrastructure is ideal for animal and cadaveric work. The CSI has a portfolio of research opportunities, including UC’s work with the Atrial Fibrillation Innovation Center (AFIC) at the Cleveland Clinic. This work is focused on MIS approaches for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.

The Atrial Fibrillation Innovation Center is an Ohio Wright Center of Innovation supported by a grant from the state of Ohio's Third Frontier Project.