More than 600,000 cardiac arrests occur in the U.S. each year, with low survival rates both in and out of hospital settings, according to the American Heart Association. To address this, the Association is providing $3.4 million in grants to two teams of scientists to lead a new research initiative focused on scientific advances related to cardiac arrest. These multidisciplinary teams will undertake studies to better understand how to predict and detect cardiac arrests, with the goal of improving treatment and survival rates and enhancing recovery and quality of life for survivors and their families.
This initiative establishes the Cardiac Arrest Research Team (CART) Network, a collaboration between the American Heart Association and Heart & Stroke™, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. The CART Network will bring together teams from both countries to share expertise, resources, and approaches to accelerate scientific discoveries and translate findings into practice.
The first grant, titled "Accelerating Successful Defibrillation and Survivor Recovery for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest," will be led by Joshua Lupton, M.D., M.P.H., M.Phil., an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Medicine and a cardiac arrest survivor himself. The team will focus on improving care from emergency treatment through post-hospital life. Researchers will test the effectiveness of different defibrillator pad placements and use AI to optimize the timing of shocks. They will also work with survivors and families to identify best practices for support and resources, including peer-support programs.
The second grant, "Vasopressor Strategy in Cardiac Arrest to Optimize Recovery-Cardiac Arrest Research Team (VICTORY-CART)," will be led by Ari Moskowitz, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, an associate professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System in New York. The team will compare two blood pressure medicines commonly used after cardiac arrest to determine which improves survival and recovery. This research will also establish a learning health system framework for efficiently comparing therapies and generating real-world evidence to improve post-cardiac arrest care.
Both teams will collaborate with people who have lived experience with cardiac arrest, including survivors, family members, and those who lost loved ones. "Cardiac arrest is a profound and tragic occurrence, and we know seconds matter," said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. "Funding research to better understand cardiac arrest is a key component of the Emergency Cardiovascular Care 2030 Impact Goals as we strive to double survival rates within five years."
The four-year research grants begin July 1, 2026. The American Heart Association has funded more than $6.1 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and brain health research since 1949, making it the largest non-profit supporter of heart and brain health research in the U.S. According to a recent Annenberg Policy Center poll, more than 8 in 10 U.S. adults say they are confident in the American Heart Association to provide trustworthy health information.
