Two innovative projects in cardiovascular medicine received financial assistance from the Research, Innovation and Development Trust (RIDT) of the UM, thanks to a generous financial contribution by local NGO Beating Hearts Malta.

During an award-giving ceremony held on campus, Dr Vanessa Petroni Magri from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and Dr Kenneth Scerri from the Department of Systems and Control Engineering presented their winning projects to Prof. Alfred J. Vella, Rector of the University, Prof. Ing. Simon Fabri, Pro-rector and to Beating Hearts Malta President Dr. Maryanne Caruana and Coordinator Ms Katrina Aquilina. The projects were funded following a call for proposals and subsequent review by a team of foreign experts.

Dr Petroni Magri will be investigating means of reducing cardiotoxicity of novel chemotherapeutic strategies, by testing these novel agents on heart models grown ‘in a tube’. The ultimate aim of this research project is to provide alternative cancer treatments that can attack cancer cells without damaging the heart muscle in the process. This project is being carried out in collaboration with research centres in Marseille Porto and Cork.

Dr Kenneth Scerri, the second awardee, will be using artificial intelligence and smart technologies to extract vital data that can give early indications of cardiovascular disease. The project will be utilizing data gathered by smart watches and snippets from single-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) to issue early warning signals for cardiovascular disorders.

In his address to the awardees and the donors, Prof. Alfred Vella thanked Beating Hearts Malta for their continued support towards cutting-edge research at the UM and appealed to the general public to channel more of our national philanthropy towards research projects that can make substantial difference to our quality of life.

The award-giving ceremony was also attended by Dr Christian Bonnici, Director of the Research Support Services of the University of Malta, and by Mr Wilfred Kenely, Chief Executive Officer of the RIDT.