» About ABACUS » Five Cores » Mission and Goals » Partner Organizations » Organizational Chart

ABACUS contains the following five cores:

1. Imaging and Intervention

This core includes a biplane flat panel angiography suite (suitable for heart and stroke research), echocardiography, an ultrafast, 64-slice spiral CT scan, SPECT nuclear imaging, an exercise physiology laboratory, mapping catheters for gene therapy and electrophysiology (CARTO and NOGA) and a 6-bed recovery/procedure and telemetry unit.

2. Vascular Biology-Gene Therapy-Biomarker Discovery Unit

This core will focus sophisticated basic science tools on the evaluation mechanisms of CVD. It will facilitate identification/testing of new therapies (drug and genes) to modulate the interaction between the blood and the vessel wall. It includes core facilities for the following procedures: vascular function molecular imaging applied proteomics gene therapy tissue banking cellular electrophysiology The core contains a robotic protein chip facility, funded by Western Diversification that will aid researchers in identifying abnormal protein biomarkers that predict the presence and correlate with the severity and activity of several cardiovascular diseases. By studying changes in protein biomarkers, researchers may identify diseases prior to the appearance of physical symptoms, potentially reducing health care costs and patient risk.

3. Trial Design/Data Analysis

ABACUS will provide the infrastructure needed to support data analysis and trial implementation by existing research groups such as EPICORE, VIGOUR and APPROACH.

4. Data Acquisition and Transmission Facility (DAT Facility)

This 100 seat facility is accessible globally via high-speed Internet. It is a networked viewing centre allowing conventional and virtual conferencing. The DAT facility will allow data acquisition from scientists and research subjects. It is equipped with a large screen viewing system and interactive desktops connected via a wireless intranet. The faculty and trainees will be linked in a virtual electronic community through VIVIDESK^TM, a "made in Alberta" portal or digital desktop environment. Secure software has been developed to facilitate to acquire, move and analyze images and information electronically.