The American Heart Association announced $3.4 million in grants for two teams of scientists to lead new research initiatives focused on cardiac arrest, a condition affecting over 600,000 people annually in the U.S. with low survival rates. The grants establish the Cardiac Arrest Research Team (CART) Network, a collaboration with Heart & Stroke™ of Canada, bringing together multidisciplinary teams to accelerate scientific discoveries and improve outcomes.
The first team, led by Joshua Lupton, M.D., M.P.H., M.Phil., an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and a cardiac arrest survivor, will focus on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The study will examine the placement of defibrillator pads during emergency shocks to determine if one position helps the heart restart faster. Researchers will also use artificial intelligence to analyze timing between shocks, using data from emergency heart monitors. Additionally, the team will work with survivors and families to identify best practices for support and peer-support programs. This project aims to build a shared research network involving hospitals, emergency responders, scientists, and survivors.
The second team, led by Ari Moskowitz, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, an associate professor of critical care medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System in the Bronx, New York, will study blood pressure medicines used after cardiac arrest. The VICTORY-CART initiative will compare two commonly used vasopressors to determine which improves survival and recovery of brain and organ function. The research will examine current usage patterns across hospitals and among clinicians, aiming to standardize effective treatments. The study will also establish a learning health system framework to generate real-world evidence that can rapidly inform post-cardiac arrest care.
Both teams will collaborate with Canadian scientists and incorporate perspectives from cardiac arrest survivors, family members, and those who have lost loved ones. Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, emphasized the importance of seconds in cardiac arrest treatment and noted that the initiative aligns with the Association's Emergency Cardiovascular Care 2030 Impact Goals to double survival rates within five years.
The four-year research grants begin July 1, 2026. The American Heart Association has funded over $6.1 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and brain health research since 1949, making it the largest non-profit supporter of such research in the U.S. According to a recent Annenberg Policy Center poll, 82% of U.S. adults trust the American Heart Association for public health information.
For more information, visit heart.org or stroke.org.
