For more than 70 years, Indiana University School of Medicine faculty have contributed to pivotal clinical research. Previous research has led to the development of echocardiography, the understanding and mechanics of fibrillation and defibrillation and the pathogeneses and molecular mechanisms associated with heart failure.
In 2022, Suparna C. Clasen, MD MSCE, assistant professor of clinical medicine for the Indiana University School of Medicine and a cardiooncologist for Indiana University Health, expanded her role as director of clinical research operations on behalf of the Krannert Cardiovascular Research Center at IU School of Medicine.
In this position, she has revamped the clinical research program to cover many subspecialties, including arrhythmia and electrophysiology, cardiooncology, cardiopulmonary, heart failure, ischemic heart disease and lipid disorders.
Clinical investigators and bench scientists affiliated with the cardiovascular clinical research program aim to evaluate solutions to slow disease progression and improve outcomes and quality of life through clinical trials, observational studies and translational research. The center leverages multidisciplinary collaborations amongst cardiologists, researchers and other healthcare professionals to integrate advanced imaging, genomics and personalized medicine to tailor individual patient profiles. Researchers engage in extensive data collection and analysis to identify risk factors, optimize treatment protocols and improve health outcomes.
Within the last two years, Clasen has recruited a full staff of clinical research coordinators, clinician research leadership and nurses, to support enrollment of eligible participants, clinical data reporting, patient care and monitoring and ethical and regulatory concerns.
"Our goal with clinical research in cardiology at the KCVRC is to advance cardiovascular medicine and improve patient outcomes by integrating cutting-edge therapeutic interventions," Clasen said.
Advances in clinical research and better health outcomes would not be possible without patients volunteering to participate. Those enrolled in a clinical trial often do so to see if their symptoms or condition can improve, to increase the knowledge base of those treating and researching cardiovascular disease and to help future generations. Currently, IU Krannert, in cooperation with its clinical partner IU Health, has more than 19 active cardiovascular clinical trials, and that number is expected to continue to grow within the next year.
Learn more about current cardiovascular clinical trials.
