Message from the Chief Scientific Officer/VP Research

Dr. Peter Liu is the Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
Peter Liu, MD
CSO/VP Research

At the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) we pride ourselves in our tradition of innovation and research excellence. The UOHI has major research programs in cardiovascular biology, imaging, regenerative medicine and diseases such as heart failure, arrhythmias and vascular disease. Our research contribution and impact place us in the top 3% of all institutions worldwide and within the top four research institutions in Canada, amongst all disciplines (according to normalized data: SCIMAGO/Scopus 2014).

Our research excellence is built on a foundation of globally recognized achievements. Major discoveries and advances include the characterization of natriuretic peptides in the heart by Professor Adolfo de Bold; the genetic polymorphism at 9p21 as the most potent risk loci for coronary disease by Drs. Ruth MacPherson, Robert Roberts, and Alex Stewart; the best method for treatment patients with anti-coagulant for pacemaker or ICD surgery by Dr. David Birnie and colleagues; our internationally recognized region-wide STEMI heart attack protocol by Dr. Michel Le May and colleagues; as well as the principles and design of the artificial heart by Drs. Mussivand and Keon.

We lead the Ottawa Region for Advanced Cardiovascular Research Excellence (ORACLE) strategy. Self-organizing Innovation Hubs synergize talented investigators from different disciplines and our partner institutions to work together to solve big problems in health in general and cardiovascular diseases in particular. A major goal for our research program is to transform innovations into solutions that improve patient health and wellbeing. We particularly value national and international collaborations that can fast-track discoveries and maximize impact.

Close collaborations with the University of Ottawa permit an active recruitment program to renew our faculty. Our recent strategic recruits are having stellar successes in national grant competitions, and receiving recognitions through research awards and scholarships.

We have a strong foundation to ensure the success of our faculty and trainees, including state-of-the-art infrastructure and supportive programs such as internal grant review, mentorship and competitive awards. 

With the amazing efforts of our research teams we continue to anticipate and meet the health challenges of tomorrow. With original ideas and effective solutions generated by our talented people, we aim to make cardiovascular disease history.

Peter Liu, MD
CSO/VP Research
University of Ottawa Heart Institute