Cardiovascular & respiratory

London has been at the forefront of cardiovascular and respiratory science, since pioneering transplant science in the early 1980s.

More specialist cardiovascular sites than anywhere else outside the US, with

109 trial sites

The world’s first double heart and lung transplant

was conducted by UCL’s Professor Magdi Yacoub in 1983

The Cardiothoracic Transplant Unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital is

Europe's largest paediatric transplant centre,

performing 20-30 transplants per year

3,000 heart transplants

performed since 1980 at Harefield Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ specialist heart and lung transplant centre

Top VC funders

Key research centres

Success stories:

The Virtual 3D Heart Project

The Virtual 3D Heart Project is a collaboration between Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London to project patients’ medical images from 3D echocardiography, CT or MRI to a virtual reality environment to visualise complex heart structures from all angles prior to surgery.

Learn more

Success stories:

UCLPartners CVDACTION

CVDACTION is a smart data tool developed by UCLPartners to help GP practices transform the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Learn more

Programmes & initiatives

British Heart Foundation Accelerator Awards allow experts from diverse fields to come together to tackle the biggest questions in heart and circulatory disease research. Learn more
Asthma and Lung UK Innovation Accelerator will support respiratory innovation products through user testing and bring them a step closer to market. Learn more
NIHR-British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Partnership provides a platform for collaboration between researchers funded by NIHR and the British Heart Foundation to catalyse progress in cardiovascular research and translate scientific discoveries into benefits for people affected by heart and circulatory diseases. Learn more
For other relevant support programmes and funding see Support.