The Georgia Institute of Technology's College of Engineering has announced the formation of the Center for Innovative Cardiovascular Technologies. Dr. Ajit Yoganathan, Wallace H. Coulter Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, will serve as the center's founding director.

The field of cardiovascular medicine is undergoing a significant shift away from invasive, surgical remedies toward non-invasive or minimally invasive procedures. The center will focus on developing and enhancing cutting-edge cardiovascular therapies and train the next generation of cardiovascular technology innovators. This translational research brings solutions from the laboratory to the clinical setting, a concept often called "from bench to bedside."

"Dr. Yoganathan helped build the biomedical engineering program here at Georgia Tech, and I am pleased that he will lead the new Center for Innovative Cardiovascular Technologies," said Don Giddens, dean of the Georgia Tech College of Engineering. "His work clearly speaks to his leadership in the field of cardiovascular translational research, and he is recognized nationally and internationally as a pioneer in cardiovascular engineering. Under his leadership, the center will serve as the core for a wide range of interdisciplinary and inter-institutional cardiovascular research projects."

The Department of Biomedical Engineering and Georgia Tech have embarked on a number of research projects that span the academic and professional arenas. The Center for Innovative Cardiovascular Technologies will be the first to focus exclusively on developing cardiovascular devices, techniques and procedures.

"We hope to attract new translational research projects with partners across town and around the world," Yoganathan said. "We already have some very exciting projects underway in conjunction with Emory, St. Joseph's Research Institute and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta."

The Center for Innovative Cardiovascular Technologies will come under the purview of the Georgia Tech College of Engineering, but will also involve faculty and students from several academic and research units across the Institute.