The tools we use in research should reflect the full spectrum of genetic diversity, but they often do not. This is a gap that an international team of scientists is exploring through the lens of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines. iPSCs are a type...
Receiving a heart transplant is a life-changing journey, and you may be wondering about your treatment options. This is why The Heart Hub is excited to introduce A Hearts Journey: A Patient & Caregiver Guide to Heart Transplant. This brand-new, interactive...
On March 5, 2025, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) received a significant breakthrough in pediatric research with an $11.7 million award from Genome Canada. As part of the Canadian Precision Health Initiative, a total of $81 million in...
After eight transformative years at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (TRCHR), Dr. Soror Sharifpoor is embarking on an exciting new chapter in her career. As the Director of Strategy & Translation at the Translational Biology and Engineering Program (TBEP)...
With a mission to support novel approaches to managing and preventing heart failure, the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research uses its Innovation Fund to propel emerging research with great potential. The 2024-25 Innovation Fund Seed Grants are currently open and you...
The Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research is delighted to welcome Iris Cohn as the new Innovator in Genomic Translation - also recently promoted to Director of the Pharmacogenetics (PGx) Program at The Hospital for Sick Children. A trained pharmacist, Iris established...
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Please note that the date of the event has changed to October 1st – kindly update your calendars accordingly. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.
We’re celebrating a decade of healthier hearts for this year’s HF Symposium. We’ll be bringing together a multi-disciplinary community of researchers, clinicians, and engineers, to share the latest discoveries, insights, and innovations in cardiovascular science, with a focus on heart failure and the progress in the past ten years. You can expect an exciting scientific program highlighting ground-breaking collaborative research, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities, including a fun social hour.
Attendees from our partner institutions of SickKids, UHN, and TBEP can use the following promo codes at check out when registering with their institutional email addresses. Registrations will be screened to ensure promo codes are used correctly.
Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University
Chief Scientific Officer and VP Research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Cardiovascular Sciences at East Carolina University
Executive Director at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research
Ted Rogers Chair in Heart Function Outcomes at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
Martha Rogers Chair in Heart Failure Training & Education at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
TRCHR Scientific Lead, Cardiac Precision Medicine Program at The Hospital for Sick Children
Medical Director of the Heart Function clinic at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
TRCHR Scientific Lead, Integrated Program for Excellence at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
TRCHR Scientific Lead, Translational Biology and Engineering Program at the University of Toronto
Senior Scientist at the University Health Network
Cardiac Surgeon-Scientist and Professor at the University of Toronto
Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University
Dr. Christopher Chen is professor of biomedical engineering and director of the tissue microfabrication laboratory at Boston University. His lab aims to identify the underlying mechanisms by which cells interact with materials and each other to build tissues – and apply this to the biology of stem cells, tissue vascularization and connective tissues.
Past roles include Skirkanich Professor of Innovation at Johns Hopkins University and director of the Center for Engineering Cells and Regeneration at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Chen is a highly-awarded investigator who has earned, among many accolades, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
Chief Scientific Officer and VP Research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Katey Rayner bio
Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Cardiovascular Sciences at East Carolina University
Samuel Sears bio
Executive Director at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research
Dr. Mansoor Husain is professor of medicine at U of T, attending physician in the Cardiac ICU and Nuclear Cardiology Labs at UHN, and senior scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute.
His award-winning research efforts focus on uncovering the molecular bases of cardiovascular diseases – including diabetes and heart failure – and identifying therapeutic targets involved in pathophysiology.
He has developed several bench discoveries with translational potential and holds three distinct therapeutic patents. Dr. Husain has chaired peer-review panels at Heart & Stroke Canada and CIHR, and is a frequent invited lecturer at international conferences in his fields of research. His past affiliations include leadership positions at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, the Heart & Stroke/Richard Lewar Centre of Excellence, and Hypertension Canada.
Ted Rogers Chair in Heart Function Outcomes at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
Dr. Douglas Lee is professor of medicine at U of T, cardiologist at Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, and and senior scientist and leader of the Cardiovascular Program at ICES. He is an expert in outcomes and health services research, health policy, prospective studies and large database research (using extensive data through ICES). In 2014, he won the Canadian Cardiovascular Society’s Robert E. Beamish Award for research carrying the greatest potential impact. In 2009, he won a CCS Young Investigator Award for outstanding achievements in clinical or basic science.
Martha Rogers Chair in Heart Failure Training & Education at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
Dr. Michael McDonald is associate professor of medicine at U of T and medical director of both the Ted Rogers Centre of Excellence in Heart Function and the Ajmera Transplant Centre at Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. His clinical efforts focus on advanced heart failure, transplant and implantable device therapy, and Dr. McDonald also directs UHN’s Advanced Heart Failure/Transplantation Fellowship Program. He is past-president of the Canadian Cardiac Transplant Network and co-chair of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society’s Heart Failure Guidelines Committee.
TRCHR Scientific Lead, Cardiac Precision Medicine Program at The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Seema Mital is professor of medicine at U of T and at SickKids she is head of cardiovascular research and senior scientist in the genetics and genome biology program.
She established the SickKids Heart Centre Biobank, a multi-centre biorepository of children and adults with childhood onset heart disease for genomics research, one of the largest of its kind in the world. Her research interests include genomics, pharmacogenomics, and stem cell applications to model childhood heart disease and discover new therapies.
Dr. Mital is principal investigator in the CIHR-funded Canadian Heart Function Alliance and Canadian National Transplant Research Program, as well as the NIH-funded Pediatric Heart Network. She serves on the American Heart Association committees for Functional Genomics and Translational Biology Council as well as National Peer Review, as well as serving as vice-chair for the AHA Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young.
She is the first female editor of the “Moss and Adams’ Heart Disease in Infants, Children and Adolescents”, the definitive textbook for pediatric cardiology (10th edition).
Medical Director of the Heart Function clinic at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Stephanie Poon bio
TRCHR Scientific Lead, Integrated Program for Excellence at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
Dr. Heather Ross is a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and Head of the Division of Cardiology at UHN. She received the Order of Canada in 2020 (CM), and an Honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) from Queen’s University 2021. Past president of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, Dr. Ross is one of Canada’s most esteemed cardiologists.
She is the site lead for the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, and currently holds the Loretta A. Rogers Chair in Heart Function and the Pfizer Chair in Cardiovascular Research.
Founder of TestYourLimits.ca dedicated to improving heart health and research in heart failure, Dr. Ross was named as one of the top 100 modern day explorers by Canadian Geographic.
She has published over 360 peer reviewed articles and won many awards including the inaugural CCS Women in Cardiovascular Medicine/Science Mentorship Award (2020) and the Canadian Heart Failure Society Annual Achievement Award (2019). Through advanced data science and digital health initiatives, she is committed to helping all communities receive equitable access to high-quality heart failure care and patient empowerment.
TRCHR Scientific Lead, Translational Biology and Engineering Program at the University of Toronto
Craig Simmons is professor of mechanical engineering and distinguished professor of mechanobiology at U of T’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering. He has been named a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the American Institute for Medical & Biomedical Engineering, the Engineering Institute of Canada, and the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering.
Dr. Simmons has made pioneering contributions in understanding how biomechanical forces contribute to heart valve disease and regeneration and has developed lab-on-a-chip microtechnology to model tissues and organs for drug discovery. His lab seeks to discover new treatments for heart valve, heart muscle, and blood vessel diseases, including strategies to regenerate cardiovascular tissues using stem cells and biomaterials.
Prof Simmons is former director of the NSERC CREATE Program in Microfluidic Applications and Training in Cardiovascular Health. His many research and teaching awards include the Ontario Early Researcher Award, the McCharles Prize, the McLean Award, the Heart & Stroke CP Has Heart Award, and the Northrop Frye Award for excellence in teaching and research.
Senior Scientist at the University Health Network
Sara Vasconcelos bio
Cardiac Surgeon-Scientist and Professor at the University of Toronto
Subodh Verma bio