Knowledge Nurtures Hope.
The MYOCARDITIS FOUNDATION (MF) awards funds to support research related to all forms of myocarditis research. The goal of MF’s research program is to advance medical knowledge on the disease and develop more accurate diagnostic methods and life-saving therapies with the goal of saving more lives.
AHA/Myocarditis Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
Purpose: The Myocarditis Foundation has partnered with the AHA to establish a research award for an investigator conducting research related to myocarditis. The award supports a postdoctoral fellow proposing innovative basic, clinical or translational research projects relevant to the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology and/or prevention of myocarditis
Eligibility: Limited to the Postdoctoral Fellowship program.
Funding: The Myocarditis Foundation will provide 50% of the funding for one Postdoctoral Fellowship in the area of myocarditis research. The AHA will provide the other 50% of the funds for the selected award.
How to Apply: Visit the AHA Application Information Web site regarding application deadlines in your affiliate area.
Selection Process: The Myocarditis Foundation will select its designee from a list of meritorious fundable Postdoctoral Fellowship applications that are above the AHA pay line, meaning that they are approved for funding.
2011 MF Research Grants
The Myocarditis Foundation is now taking applications for the 2011 Research Grant. Download and review the documents linked below.
MF Research Grant Overview 2011
MF Research Grant Guidelines2011
MF Research Application Form 2011
2010 MF Research Grants
The Myocarditis Foundation Announces The Award of Three Research Grants for 2010-2011
The international Medical Advisory Board, made up of leading myocarditis researchers from around the world, selected the grant recipients from a distinguished field of candidates. Today the Foundation is proud to announce the award of three Research Fellowship Grant recipients: Dr. David Marchant, Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, Dr. Silvio Antoniak, Ph.D. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Dr. Byung Kwan Lim of the University of California San Diego.
2009 MF Research Grants
The Myocarditis Foundation Announces The Award of A Research Fellowship Grant in 2009
The Foundation awards funds to support research related to all forms of myocarditis. The goal of the Foundation’s research program is to advance medical knowledge of the disease and to save more lives. Candace Moose, Director, states: “We are please to support the career development of such an outstanding young physician scientist as Dr. Wollersheim and look forward to the contribution she will undoubtedly make in the field of myocarditis research.”
“Cellular and Viral Determinants of Neonatal Coxsackievirus Myocarditis”Group B coxsackieviruses (CVB) are a leading cause of infectious myocarditis and have a high mortality rate in newborns. Currently, there is no commercially available specific antiviral therapy for CVB; only supportive care can be offered. My research is designed to identify potential therapeutic targets.Some variants of CVB are myocarditic, and some are not; this difference in the myocarditic potential has been mapped to a region of the CVB genome called the internal ribosomal entry site (IRES). My research will compare the IRES function from CVB strains recovered in recent fatal cases of neonatal myocarditis to older, prototype CVB strains. We will also plan to use mass spectrometry to identify proteins specifically expressed in cardiac myocytes that interact with the CVB IRES. These proteins may prove to be targets for treatment of CVB myocarditis.Susan Wollersheim, MC, UCLA Medical Center, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellow
2008 MF Research Grants
The Myocarditis Foundation Announces The Award of Two Research Fellowship Grants in 2008
The goal of the Foundation’s research program is to advance medical knowledge on the disease and to save more lives. Candace Moose, Director: “We are pleased to support the career development of such outstanding young physician scientists as Drs. Cihakova and Heidecker and look forward to the contribution they will undoubtedly make in the field of myocarditis research.”
“The Role of Monocytes in Autoimmune Myocarditis” – December 2007
For a long time, our laboratory under the leadership of Dr. Noel Rose has been engaged in studying the mechanisms by which inflammation damages the heart. For these investigations, we have established an experimental model in mice using immunization with cardiac myosin, an important component of heart muscle cells. Lately we have concentrated on the cells that are the most abundant in infiltrates both in human giant cell myocarditis and in our experimental mouse model – macrophages. We have discovered recently that there are different types of macrophages in heart infiltrates and that they can either be disease promoting or – surprisingly – suppressing in myocarditis.Our preliminary data indicate that the types of macrophages that dominate during the course of myocarditis are influenced by products secreted by infiltrating T cells. Our experiments suggest a product of T cells; IL-17 does not induce proinflammatory functioning macrophages. Since myocarditis in the mouse model is driven by IL-17 cells, this could indicate that IL-17 activated macrophages are not pathogenic in myocarditis but might even be beneficial. A successful mapping of the role of different macrophage subpopulations during myocarditis could have direct implication for novel potential therapies for myocarditis.Daniela Cihakova, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins University
“Gene Expression Profiling for Detection of Myocarditis” – December 2007
Over the past 10 years, our group intensified its research in inflammatory heart disease or myocarditis. Myocarditis is estimated to account for about 10-30% of cases with heart failure. Given that heart failure is a severe disease often resulting in poor clinical outcome, early detection of myocarditis becomes extremely important to induce specific treatment that can cure patients. While current diagnostic standards for inflammatory heart disease have insufficient accuracy, our group addresses this issue with a highly sensitive technique, namely gene expression profiling or microarray technology. With this explorative technique, we identified a biomarker, containing 39 genes that distinguish very accurately patients with myocarditis from other types of cardiomyopathy from a single heart biopsy. Besides important improvements in diagnosis of inflammatory heart disease, our findings also offer insight into the pathophysiology of myocarditis on the genetic level and may create the base for new evolving therapies.Based on our preliminary data, we are currently enrolling patients for a prospective clinical trial, in which we will test the accuracy of our novel biomarker in 150 patients. In order to assure the best possible diagnostic reference to which we will compare our results, state-of-the-art assessment for myocarditis will be combined with novel tools, such as screening for serum antibodies, viral nucleic acids and magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, we are seeking to discover markers in corresponding blood cells of our patients, which may allow the use of blood samples as surrogate for heart biopsies. This would be extremely beneficial both for patients and the health care system in terms of time, cost and practicality.Bettina Heidecker, MD, The University of Miami
Types of Proposals Sought
The Myocarditis Foundation (MF) accepts fellowship grant applications on an annual basis for innovative basic, clinical or translational research relevant to the cause or treatment of myocarditis. MF’s fellowship grant program is designed to provide seed funding to investigators for the testing of initial hypotheses and collecting preliminary data to help secure long-term funding by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and other major granting institutions. Funding is available at US $35,000 for salary only.
Grant award decisions are made through a peer review process by our Medical Advisory Board. Scientific excellence and relevance to myocarditis are the basic criteria for selecting the supported research project. The award is designed to support training and career development of physician-scientists in myocarditis research.
Available Funding
The MF research grant provides salary support for 1 year of full-time research. The 2011-12 stipend is $35,000. No additional funds for benefits, travel, or indirect costs, etc. are available.
Eligibility Requirements
Candidates may apply up to 10 years following receipt of an MD, PhD, or an equivalent degree and plan to perform the funded work in the United States or Canada, in order to apply for the Fellowship. All applicants must select a preceptor with a proven track record of research in myocarditis. In addition to providing a letter of recommendation, the preceptor is expected to assist in preparing the application. For applicants wishing advice in the selection of a preceptor, a list of potential preceptors is available from the MF.
Application Procedure
The MF will issue one request for proposals in September 2010. The deadline for grant submission is December 1, 2010 with final award decisions made by December 31, 2010. The research plan should be limited to 5 pages and must include the following: hypothesis, specific aims, background/significance, preliminary data, methods and expected results. The applicant should include a cover letter, supporting letter from the preceptor, and applicant and preceptor biographical sketches. Upon receipt of a signed letter of agreement from the selected candidate the MF will disburse the funds in installments during the research year.
Final Report
A final report will be required upon completion of the research year. The Myocarditis Foundation reserves the right to cite the research in all/any of our printed materials and on our website. The Myocarditis Foundation must be acknowledged in all publications resulting from the research.
To download the 2010 Fellowship Grant Application form and the Fellowship Guidelines and Requirements, please click on the below PDF files.
Application Forms
Application Form Download (PDF, 13KB)
Fellowship Guidelines and Requirements (PDF, 111KB)
