Center for Cardiovascular Research

The mission of the Center for Cardiovascular Research is to conduct innovative, mechanism-based research leading to improved therapies and outcomes for pediatric cardiovascular diseases and to foster preventive strategies and promote cardiovascular health in adults.

The Abigail Wexner Research Institute is ranked among the top 10 for NIH funding among free-standing children's hospitals.

Meet Our Team View Clinical Research Studies

Areas of Focus

Grant Awards

Research Training & Career Opportunities

Our Areas of Focus

Genetics of Congenital Heart Disease
Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Heart and Blood Vessel Development
Congenital and Acquired Heart Valve Disease
Micro- and Macro-Vascular Remodeling and Aortic Aneurysmal Disease
Cardiac Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology

Center for Cardiovascular Research Extramural Grant Funding

Investigator	Title	Sponsor	Award Years
Aaron Trask	Vascular Machine Learning Optimized Prognostic and Treatment Pathways in Human Fetal Growth Restriction	NIH/NICHD	2026 -2031
Mingtao Zhao	A human stem cell-based compartment-specific cardiac model for elucidating roles of NOTCH1 in congenital heart disease	NIH/NHLBI	2026 -2031
Vidu Garg Sarah O’Brien Carl Backes	Summer Program for Advanced Research in Kids(SPARK) for Heart, Blood and Lung Diseases (T35)	NIH/NHLBI	2026 -2031
Mingtao Zhao	Single-cell and spatial atlas of human and mouse trisomy 21 hearts	NIH/NHLBI	2026-2030
Deqiang Li	Novel Pathogenesis of LVNC	NIH/NHLBI	2025 - 2030
Jihyun Jang	Role of cardiac m6A methyltransferases	NIH/NHLBI	2025 - 2029
Vidu Garg	Mechanisms and Therapeutics for Congenital Aortic Valve Disease	NIH/NHLBI	2024 - 2028
Vidu Garg Carl Backes	Integrative Research Training Program in Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Disease (T32)	NIH/NHLBI	2023 - 2028
Aaron Trask Vidu Garg	The Role of Notch Signaling in Type 2 Diabetic Coronary Microvascular Disease	NIH/NHLBI	2023 - 2027
Kerrem Pekkan	Wireless Magnetic Hydrogel Cuff to Modulate in Ovo Mechanical Forces During Early Embryonic Vascular Development	AHA	2026 - 2028
Mingtao Zhao	Autologous Pulsatile Conduit for Precision Medicine in Single Ventricle Heart Defects	AHA	2026 - 2028
Mingtao Zhao	The heart-liver axis in single ventricle Fontan circulation	AHA	2026 - 2028
Jihyun Jang	Histone modifier determines chamber-specific cardiomyocyte proportions	AHA	2026 - 2027
Mingtao Zhao	Precision genomics in hypoplastic left heart syndrome	AHA	2026 - 2027
Vidu Garg	Nationwide Children’s Hospital Summer Undergraduate Research Program	AHA	2025 - 2027
Deqiang Li	An unexpected player in the cardiac endothelium regulating myocardial morphogenesis	AHA	2024 - 2027
Mingtao Zhao	Prenatal Detection of Fetal Heart Defects Using Maternal Cell-Free RNA Biomarkers	AHA	2024 - 2027
Mingtao Zhao	PULSE-SVA Network: Personalized Understanding from Linked Simulations & Electrophysiology in Single Ventricle Arrhythmia	AHA/Additional Ventures	2024 - 2027
Mingtao Zhao	Elucidating etiologies of HLHS and HRHS using patient-specific cardioids	Additional Ventures	2024 - 2027

Join Our Team

Integrative Research Training in Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Disease Fellowship

This T32 Fellowship Program provides state-of-the-art research training in pediatric heart and lung diseases.

Join the Center for Cardiovascular Research Team

Click here to view a list of our current openings at the Center for Cardiovascular Research.

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Summer 2026 Training Opportunities for Undergraduate Students

Rising juniors and seniors can explore science careers and experience multidisciplinary research at AWRI firsthand through a 10-week, paid summer research opportunity funded by the American Heart Association.

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Patient-Centered Pediatric Research Program

The Patient-Centered Pediatric Research Program prepares postdoctoral fellows to engage in independent outcomes research in child health settings and become leaders in the conduct of patient- and family-centered outcomes research.

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Research Pathway

The Integrated Research Pathway is an American Board of Pediatrics approved mechanism for pediatric residency training. Learn more about this program and the application process.

Office of Trainee Affairs

Research education and training are central to the mission of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute (AWRI) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the resource of the Office of Trainee Affairs is evidence of this commitment.

DISCOVERYx: The Stories Behind Discovery

Learn more about research and academic events going on at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Inside the Center for Cardiovascular Research

Meet Our Team

Learn more about director Vidu Garg, MD, and his team of principal investigators at the Center for Cardiovascular Research.

Cardiovascular Research Shared Resource Core

The Cardiovascular Research Shared Resource is available to facilitate both basic and translational research for basic science and clinical faculty.

Research and Innovation

Through The Heart Center and the Center for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research, clinicians and scientists work together to match questions developed at the bedside with answers evidenced at the benchside.

Garg Lab

Under the direction of Vidu Garg, MD, the Garg Lab focuses on identifying the genetic contributors to congenital heart defects.

Jang Lab

Under the direction of Jihyun Jang, PhD, the Jang Lab is exploring how non-genetic factors, particularly epitranscriptomics, regulate complex physiological and pathological processes during heart development.

Li Lab

Under the direction of Deqiang Li, MD, PhD, the Heart Development and Regeneration Lab at Nationwide Children's Hospital aims to understand the fundamental mechanisms of cardiac cell proliferation and differentiation and how signaling communications instruct specific processes.

McConnell Lab

Under the direction of Patrick McConnell, MD, the McConnell’s Lab focuses on studying biological models of heart function, pathophysiology and cardiac assisting devices.

Trask Lab

Under the direction of Aaron Trask, PhD, the Trask Lab's research focuses on studying processes involved in adverse micro- and macro-vascular remodeling in disease.

Yerebakan Lab

The Yerebakan Lab studies why some babies are born with very small or weak hearts and whether those hearts can grow stronger if given the right help. Using a special embryo model, we can temporarily change blood flow and then restore it to see if the heart can recover its growth.

Zhao Lab

Under the direction Mingtao Zhao, DVM, PhD, the Zhao Lab is exploring the genetic basis of cardiovascular development and congenital heart disease using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

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