OTTAWA, July 23, 2026 — The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has awarded more than $1.2 million to two research projects led by investigators at the Ottawa Heart Institute (OHI) through the highly competitive Spring 2026 Project Grant competition.
"Strong cardiovascular health depends on both preventing disease and advancing the tools we use to treat it," said Katey Rayner, PhD, chief scientific officer and vice-president of research at the Ottawa Heart Institute. "This support enables our researchers to pursue innovative ideas, deepen our understanding of cardiovascular disease and bring discoveries closer to improving care for patients in Canada and beyond."
The newly funded projects reflect the breadth of cardiovascular research underway at the Ottawa Heart Institute—from AI-assisted imaging tools for structural heart procedures to preventing cardiovascular disease through smoking cessation—with innovative researchers at the heart of discoveries that could reshape the future of cardiovascular medicine.
Pascal Thériault-Lauzier, MD, PhD
Co-principal investigator: David Messika-Zeitoun, MD, PhD (OHI)
Project title: Regulatory-grade multicenter validation of a locked, human-in-the-loop AI module for CT-based TAVI planning
Amount: $267,750 over three years
This project will generate regulatory-grade evidence to support validation of a clinician-guided AI tool designed to improve the efficiency, consistency and reproducibility of CT measurements used to plan transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures.
Hassan Mir, MD
Co-principal investigators: Mark Eisenberg, MD (McGill); Kerri-Anne Mullen, PhD (OHI); Sandra Ofori, MBBS, PhD (McMaster); Peter Selby, MBBS (University of Toronto)
Project title: Comparative Effectiveness of Cytisine to Combination Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Varenicline for Smoking Cessation: A Randomized Controlled Trial (CanQuit RCT)
Amount: $952,426 over five years
The CanQuit RCT will compare three smoking cessation medications—cytisine, combination nicotine replacement therapy and varenicline—in 1,500 adults across Canada to identify the most effective, well-tolerated and cost-effective approaches to helping people quit smoking.
CIHR's Project Grant program supports research with the potential to generate new knowledge and strengthen health research, health care, health systems and health outcomes.
To schedule an interview with one or more of the funded investigators at the Ottawa Heart Institute, please contact the liaison below.
Media contact
Leigh B. Morris
Media Relations Officer
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
613-316-6409 (cell)
lmorris@ottawaheart.ca