by Dr. Mingyao Liu

With the new academic year upon us, I would like to give a warm welcome to all new IMS students and faculty–and for returning members of our community, welcome back. The fall semester is a meaningful time for new beginnings, as well as learning, growing, and reflecting on the progress we have made over the years and preparing for where we want the future to take us. This sentiment us in line with the Fall 2024 issue of the IMS Magazine, which focuses on cardiovascular health–a topic originally covered over 10 years ago in the Winter 2014 issue of the magazine. It is a privilege to witness how far our research has come since then, and it brings me great excitement to think of where the field will progress over the next 10 years.

This issue features individuals that have conducted innovative research in the field of cardiovascular health and disease. Dr. Paaladinesh Thavendiranathan is developing new models to predict and diagnose cardiovascular toxicity in patients undergoing cancer treatments. Dr. Keyvan Karkouti is investigating strategic ways to minimize blood loss in perioperative bleeding to improve the recovery of patients undergoing surgery. Lastly, Dr. Osami Honjo is researching how to improve the quality of damaged donor hearts so they can be effectively used in transplants. These impressive researchers are improving both the quality and duration of life in those with various cardiovascular conditions around the world, and it is wonderful to see them featured in this issue of the magazine. 

The Fall 2024 issue of the IMS Magazine also shares the personal journeys of several influential members of the IMS community. Alex Boshart shares how his experiences navigating his PhD have turned him into the impactful student leader he is today. Dr. Aadil Ali, a 2021 IMS alum, highlights how he was able to turn his PhD research into an organ preservation device that has changed the standard of care for transplants around the world. Finally, Dr. Tony George describes how he took the leap from a small town in Nova Scotia to becoming an influential psychiatrist, scientist, and award-winning professor here at the IMS. 

With the new academic year, there are also new leaders for the IMS Magazine. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Iciar Iturmendi Sabater for her dedication to the magazine over the last several years and wish her the best of luck as in the new learning and leadership opportunities that await her. I would also like to welcome two new Co-Editors in Chief, Kristen Ashworth and Suraiya Mangra, who will be working with current Co-Editor in Chief Kyla Trkulja to tirelessly move the magazine forward. As always, I would also like to thank the journalists, editors, and design team for their contributions that allow us to showcase our community’s accomplishments in this issue. I hope you enjoy reading about how we have advanced cardiovascular research over the last 10 years.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mingyao Liu

Director, Institute of Medical Science