The American Heart Association announced $3.4 million in grants for two research teams to lead a new initiative focused on improving cardiac arrest outcomes. The grants, part of the Cardiac Arrest Research Team (CART) Network in collaboration with Heart & Stroke Canada, aim to advance scientific understanding and translate findings into practice to boost survival rates and recovery quality.
More than 600,000 cardiac arrests occur annually in the U.S., with low survival rates both in and out of hospitals. The first team, led by Joshua Lupton, M.D., M.P.H., M.Phil., a cardiac arrest survivor and assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University, will study defibrillation pad placement and the timing of electric shocks using artificial intelligence. The research will also explore peer-support programs for survivors and their families. Collaborators include Mohamud Daya, M.D., M.S., Matthew Neth, M.D., and Ankur A. Doshi, M.D., FAHA.
The second team, led by Ari Moskowitz, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, will compare two blood pressure medications commonly used after cardiac arrest to determine which improves survival and organ recovery. The team will analyze current treatment variations across hospitals to establish a learning health system framework for consistent, effective care. Co-investigators include Sachin Agarwal, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, Katherine Berg, M.D., Stephanie DeMasi, M.D., and Nicholas Johnson, M.D., FAHA.
Both teams will collaborate with survivors, families, and those who lost loved ones to integrate lived experiences into research. “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 American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care 2030 Impact Goals as we strive to double the survival rate from cardiac arrest within the next five years.”
The four-year grants begin July 1, 2026. The American Heart Association has funded over $6.1 billion in cardiovascular 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, 82% of U.S. adults trust the Association for public health information.
