At the McGill University Health Centre, cardiac experts like Dr. Renzo Cecere are revolutionizing the future of heart care. Thanks to remarkable advancements, concepts once confined to science fiction—such as growing heart muscle in a lab—are now within our reach. Yet, the bold, disruptive thinking that drives these breakthroughs often struggles to secure funding in its early stages. While government grants support established research and proven ideas, early-stage innovation relies on a different kind of support. This is where the MUHC Foundation steps in, helping to transform daring ideas into life-saving realities.

Dr. Cecere’s groundbreaking work in personalized heart care recently earned him the prestigious Trottier Webster Innovation Award. Established in 2019 through a $3 million pledge to the MUHC Foundation, the award celebrates exceptional researchers who push the boundaries of science. Each year, it provides $100,000 to an innovative research project with the potential to revolutionize patient care.

“I want to thank the Trottier Family Foundation and the R. Howard Webster Foundation for this incredible recognition, which I consider among the highest honours of my career. Their support is a lifeline for my research, which aims to introduce a new and non-invasive treatment for complex arrhythmias,” shares Dr. Cecere.

Dr. Cecere’s research focuses on treating cardiac arrhythmias, which disrupt the heart’s natural rhythm. While some patients respond to standard treatments, complex cases like ventricular tachycardia carry higher risks, including sudden cardiac arrest and death.

“These cases are often difficult to manage with medication or defibrillators alone, which is what motivated me to explore new solutions,” says Dr. Cecere.

His work poses a bold question: Could radiation therapy, traditionally used in cancer care, also hold answers for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias like ventricular tachycardia? Inspired by promising observations in cancer patients, his team is exploring this possibility by testing radiation treatments on heart muscle cells grown from patients’ own stem cells.

By creating personalized heart muscle cells in the lab, Dr. Cecere’s team can simulate real-time responses to radiation, enabling them to optimize treatment plans for individual patients. For those whose arrhythmias don’t respond to standard medications or defibrillators, this approach could be life-changing.

“Dr. Cecere’s research is a model for how innovative therapies are tested and refined. This award celebrates his commitment to advancing heart care through cutting-edge science and we couldn’t be happier to be able to be shining a light of what’s possible, and the profound impact this work could have on patient care,” explains Dr. Rhian Touyz, Executive Director of the Research Institute of the MUHC.

Moreover, this isn’t the first time Dr. Cecere grows heart tissue in the lab. Alongside MUHC cardiologist Dr. Nadia Giannetti and Dr. Terry Hébert of McGill University, he collaborated on the renowned Heart in a Dish program, which grows patients’ heart tissue in petri dishes to enable close study. Like something out of science fiction, the lab-grown heart tissue even beats.

“This research allows us to test how individual patients will respond to specific treatments, which translates into improved outcomes for patients. It’s personalized heart care at its best,” explains Dr. Cecere.

Collaboration is at the heart of this initiative. Working with experts in electrophysiology, radiation oncology, and nuclear physics, this exceptional team is delving into the intricate mechanisms by which radiation affects heart muscle cells. This interdisciplinary effort is paving the way for treatments that reduce reliance on medications with harmful side effects, offering new hope for patients with few remaining options.

“Dr. Cecere and his team represent the MUHC’s multidisciplinary approach to cardiac care. Working out of a world-class setting like the Glen, with incredible resources and expertise, offers the team a cutting edge,” says Dr. Atul Verma, Director of Cardiology at the MUHC.

This stem cell research highlights what we already know: that the future of heart care is not only promising, it’s also being shaped at the MUHC—and Quebecers will be the first to benefit.

Over the past five years, the Trottier Family Foundation and the R. Howard Webster Foundation have partnered with the MUHC Foundation to advance cutting-edge research with the potential to transform diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. This competition acts as a catalyst for securing larger funding opportunities, providing RI-MUHC researchers with the resources needed to bring their innovative ideas to life.

“The R. Howard Webster Foundation is proud to champion Dr. Cecere’s groundbreaking cardiac research, which in turn reinforces the MUHC’s and Quebec’s role as leaders in heart health. This benefits every single Quebecer by creating a healthier future for all of us,” expresses Lucy Riddell, R. Howard Webster Foundation.

“At the Trottier Family Foundation, advancing innovation is our mission. The MUHC is a global leader in innovative heart research, and we know that the impact of Dr. Cecere’s work will be felt for generations,” shares Claire Trottier, Trottier Family Foundation.

As this vital partnership continues, we’re reminded of the power of philanthropy in shaping not only the future of health care, but its present. It’s thanks to donors to the MUHC Foundation that life-changing solutions can be brought to the patients who need them most.

“Dr. Cecere’s dedication reflects the very heart of the MUHC Foundation’s mission—to drive forward cutting-edge research that translates into more lives saved,” says Marie-Hélène Laramée, President and CEO of the MUHC Foundation.

In a single moment, you have the power to create meaningful change. Your decision today can set forward a chain reaction of hope and healing. Join us in revolutionizing heart health by supporting the MUHC Foundation’s Dream Big: Fix Broken Hearts campaign: https://muhcfoundation.com/works/fix-broken-hearts

Together, we can change lives and heal hearts.

The MUHC Foundation is accredited by Imagine Canada for excellence in non-profit accountability, transparency and governance. https://muhcfoundation.com