Canadian Atherosclerosis Imaging Network (CAIN) - “Hearts and Minds”

Background:

A CIHR Institute for Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH) sponsored Canadian
consensus conference on clinical imaging research was convened in March 2007. One
clear consensus came from this meeting: to move forward immediately to establish
national imaging networks that would coordinate disease-focused efforts in multicenter
clinical evaluation/comparison and randomized clinical trials of novel diagnostic imaging
technologies and their applications in clinical trials of therapeutics.

Overview:

CAIN is a pan-canadian imaging network funded through grants from the Canadian
Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
This unique research network is focused on the pathobiology of atherosclerotic disease as
it pertains to the coronary and carotid circulations. The CAIN research program involves
the creation of a unique national network focused on in vivo imaging of vessel wall
disease, combined with imaging of occult end-organ disease as well as the acquisition of
clinical and pathological end points. CAIN enables unprecedented cross-sectional and
longitudinal clinical studies of patients with atherosclerotic disease in coronary or carotid
vascular beds, and has established an international resource for studying the natural
history, progression, regression and novel therapeutic interventions aimed at
atherosclerosis. Vascular imaging expertise and infrastructure in all major Canadian cities
are linked in this novel multidisciplinary team to form a core clinical research network;
patients are recruited from qualified sites across the country to enable unique research
into the vascular biology of atherosclerosis, imaging technology assessment and clinical
vascular imaging. The project leader, co-PIs, core and recruitment sites represent
Canada's leading atherosclerosis imaging experts, spanning coronary and carotid
territories and embodying both basic imaging science and clinical imaging research.
Collaborations with private organizations are currently being established.

Leadership:

Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif is the designated project leader of this initiative and a world-
leader in cardiovascular research. He has a leading role in several large-scale
international randomized clinical trials focusing on cardiovascular diseases. He holds the
Pfizer / CIHR Chair in Atherosclerosis that involves both clinical and pre-clinical
research aspects. He has been a member of several steering committees for NIH-funded
studies. He is also the scientific director of the Montreal Heart Institute Coordinating
Center (MHICC) and Director of the Cardiovascular Health Network (RSCV) of FRSQ.
Co- principal investigators and Steering Committee Members have been designated as follows, representing
Canada’s leading vascular imaging researchers; this leadership team is in itself highly
multidisciplinary and academically strong.

CAIN Steering Committee members:

Philippe L’Allier
Alan Moody
Sandra Black
David Spence
Aaron Fenster
Rob Beanlands
Ben Chow
Matthias Friedrich
Richard Frayne
Brian Rutt
Therese Heinonen

CAIN International Advisory Committee members:

Michele Lussier
Leslee Shaw
Marcelo Dicarli
Renu Virmani
Peter Rothwell
Chun Yuan
Andrew Ara

Interrested in joining the CAIN network?

If you are an investigator interrested in joining the CAIN network, you should contact Therese Heinonen directly by email at therese.heinonen [at] mhicc [dot] org