The project of our researcher Teresa Correia was one of the 13 Portuguese projects that won the CaixaResearch Health 2022 call. Of the 546 proposals, only 33 new projects promoted by research centres and universities from Spain and Portugal in the area of biomedicine and health were approved.

"With the CaixaResearch Health award we will be able to continue to improve the cardiac magnetic resonance technique to obtain detailed maps of the blood flow in the heart, in order to identify anomalies and treat them early. This award will also allow us to do high-quality science in the Algarve in collaboration with other highly prestigious research centres in Portugal and Spain working in the areas of magnetic resonance, artificial intelligence and cardiology," highlights Teresa.

Coronary heart disease is one of the main causes of death worldwide and occurs when the blood flow to the heart becomes restricted. Early detection of this condition is extremely important to prevent potentially life-threatening events.

Currently, the most used method for the early detection of coronary heart disease is coronary angiography, an invasive procedure that requires hospital admission and exposes the patient to radiation. However, there is an alternative to angiography: cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Although it is a safe and non-invasive procedure, it has two drawbacks: limited image quality and incomplete heart coverage.

To overcome these drawbacks, our researcher Teresa Correia in partnership with the Associação do Instituto Superior Técnico para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento, University of Valladolid and the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research Carlos III -CNIC will develop a new method to obtain unprecedented insights into heart health. This new method will contribute to improving the diagnosis and treatment of coronary heart disease and increase survival rates, quality of life and patient safety.

The CaixaResearch competition supports excellent basic, clinical and translational research initiatives with a strong impact on health challenges in the area of cardiovascular, infectious and oncological diseases and the neurosciences. The CaixaResearch call is organised in partnership with the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education.