Director of new heart research centre talks about £8.9 million award

Interview with Professor Michael Schneider about the British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence

By Laura Gallagher
Friday 4 April 2008

A new Centre of Research Excellence is established today at Imperial College, through an £8.9 million award from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), with the aim of finding new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat heart problems.

Medical researchers, scientists and engineers from 20 different disciplines at Imperial will join forces in its new Centre, creating pioneering partnerships in order to find novel approaches to understanding and preventing heart disease and heart failure.

The Director of the Centre is Professor Michael Schneider the Head of Cardiovascular Science at Imperial. He joined the College in September last year from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Here, Professor Schneider talks to the British Heart Foundation about the new award and his work as a cardiovascular researcher.

How do you feel about being appointed Director of the BHF Centre of Research Excellence?

I am ecstatic. I was attracted specifically to Imperial's perfect mix of science, technology and medicine. This is an exciting place to fulfil the Foundation's aspirations.

How did you get into heart disease research?

I trained as a medic, but soon realised I wanted to change patient care, not just do patient care. After finishing my clinical training, a Nobel Laureate taught me how to do research.

What does the BHF mean to you?

I am a newcomer to the UK, but I already see the BHF leads the world in its vision, scope and generosity.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I miss the artisan-like pleasure of doing experiments with my own two hands. What I enjoy most now is the detailed planning, discussing the results of experiments with others, deciding what the data mean, and knowing how to tell the story.

How do you look after your own heart?

I've never smoked, and chose my parents wisely. With so much more walking than in Houston, and more intelligent portion sizes in restaurants, London is a much easier city for keeping my weight in line.

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