About the Integrative Cardiovascular, Cancer and Ageing Research unit (ICCA)
ICCA is dedicated to advancing healthcare through interdisciplinary collaboration across clinical and basic science. Our vision is to improve the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of a broad range of diseases by integrating expertise in clinical cardiology, arrhythmia disorders, cardiovascular prevention, vascular biology, tumor genetics and cancer biology, ageing, and systems medicine.
Cardiology, arrhythmias
Cardiology research at ICCA has a strong focus on arrhythmia disorders. As one of Europe’s largest centers for invasive electrophysiology, we lead studies on novel ablation techniques and their impact on clinical outcomes and safety. Large-scale screening initiatives investigate novel methods for early detection of atrial fibrillation (AF), incorporating biomarkers and AI to enhance risk prediction. We assess the effects of new pharmacological strategies on AF, conduct implementation research in the field of telemedicine in AF and heart failure and collaborate with psychologists to develop and evaluate internet-based CBT programs tailored to patients with various cardiac conditions. In sports cardiology we assess cardiovascular effects of strenuous exercise and develop screening strategies to promote safe sports participation. Other research areas include inherited rhythm disorders and sudden cardiac death prevention.
Ageing
As age-related diseases rise, understanding the molecular and cellular changes of aging is increasingly important. At ICCA, we study these mechanisms using human samples and various in vitro and in vivo models to identify targets that could delay aging and prevent age-associated conditions
Systems medicine
Systems Medicine uses patient samples to understand how hereditary factors interact with lifestyle and micro-environmental factors to drive the pathological processes behind common complex diseases. Genetic population studies (GWAS) have revealed that the heritability of common diseases involves hundreds, if not thousands, of risk variants, each with a limited individual effect. This contrasts sharply with rare disorders, where a few risk variants typically have substantial impacts. By studying organ and cell-level changes in the transcriptome and proteome over time, Systems Medicine moves beyond traditional genetics to identify the key molecular circuits that transform healthy organs into states of disease.
The ICCA unit also conducts research in:
- Cardio-oncology
- Cardiovascular prevention
- Vascular biology
- Cancer biology