What do space travel and heart disease have in common? At the University of Manitoba and St. Boniface Hospital Research, scientists are uncovering important connections between the two.
A recent UM Today feature highlights groundbreaking work led by Drs. Lorrie Kirshenbaum and Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin, both professors at the University of Manitoba and principal investigators at St. Boniface Hospital Research. Their research examines how conditions experienced during space flight, such as microgravity and disrupted circadian rhythms, affect the heart. Supported by the Canadian Space Agency and strengthened through collaboration with NASA, their work draws on space health data to better understand cardiac stress, damage, and repair. These insights are being translated back to Earth with the potential to improve the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Read more at: https://umtoday.ca/stories/heart-health-space
To hear directly from the researchers behind discoveries like this, the University of Manitoba’s “What’s the Big Idea?” podcast offers an engaging look into their work. Hosted by UM President Michael Benarroch, the podcast features conversations with researchers whose work bridges disciplines and institutions. Episodes include discussions with Dr. Kirshenbaum on heart failure research, sex differences in cardiovascular disease, and how space-based science informs clinical research at St. Boniface Hospital. Listen to the podcast here: https://umanitoba.ca/community/whats-the-big-idea-podcast
Together, these stories show how research at St. Boniface Hospital Research and the University of Manitoba is connecting NASA, space science, and patient-focused cardiovascular research in Manitoba.
Featured image source: https://umtoday.ca/stories/heart-health-space