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

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.

* Training and Knowledge Transfer *
* Please visit the special knowledge transfer website at www.ImagingKT.ca *

ImagingKT.ca is a website that has been developed to engage medical imaging
professionals with simple, yet comprehensive access to cutting-edge research
knowledge and skills, as well as providing a portal to research training and

mentorship. The development of ImagingKT.ca has relied in part on CAIN and

runs on infrastructure provided by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

This comprehensive website provides access to imaging news, training

information, lectures, and career opportunities.

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
Chun Yuan 
  

CAIN Operations Committee members

     CAIN Database Subcommittee members
     Joan Fleming
     Marilyn Horton
     Louise Fortier
     Yan Ssuto
     Soundouss El Moubaraki
     Claude Nadon
     Angel Khazmadjian 

     CAIN IT Subcommittee members
     Aaron Fenster
     Jim Heaton
     Rob deKemp
     Ran Klein
     Pierre Lefebvre
     Hervé Momo Jeufack
     Brian O'Brien
     Alain Caillé
     Louise Fortier
     Matthias Friedrich
     Therese Heinonen
     Luc Lalancette
     Gilles Lefebvre
     Claude Nadon (Chair)
     Pierre Le Guyader
     Michèle Plante
     René Toutant
     Marina Salluzzi
     David Tessier

CAIN Training and Transfer Committee members
Richard Frayne
Ben Chow
Sandra Black
Aaron Fenster
Therese Heinonen
Philippe L’Allier
René Toutant

Interested in joining the CAIN network?

If you are an investigator interested in joining the CAIN network, please contact Therese Heinonen by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it