A project to develop a novel synthetic heart valve, potentially benefiting millions, is among those receiving a share of £680,000 in funding from the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

As part of the Spring 2024 Research Awards open call for researchers across all academic disciplines, Professors Sean McKee and Iain Stewart, from Mathematics and Statistics at Strathclyde, and Visiting Professor and cardiac surgeon David Wheatley, received a Small Research Grant to develop a synthetic heart valve. The award is designed to support personally conducted high-quality research.

Valve replacement

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of global deaths, with aortic valve stenosis (AS), affecting nine million people worldwide. Valve replacement with a prosthesis remains the most effective treatment and can be lifesaving. But complications include calcification, durability, and a need for lifelong anti-coagulant therapy. Polymer heart valves can bridge the durability of mechanical heart valves at a fraction of the cost, but despite scientific advances, very few have reached clinical translation.

The Wheatley aortic valve, a device created in 2012 by Professor Wheatley, could improve the lives of millions of people affected by aortic disease, and the RSE grant will allow for a Brazilian collaborator to join the research team in Scotland.

Digital libraries

Under the latest funding call, Professor Gobinda Chowdhury from Strathclyde’s Computer and Information Sciences Department, whose research focuses on digital libraries and information services, also received an RSE Research Collaboration Grant for his project ‘Sustainable legal deposit libraries in the United Kingdom.’

Legal deposit is legislation that requires publishers to lodge copies of their publications with libraries where they publish, and along with collaborators Dr Joseph Marshall from the National Library of Scotland, and Dr Christopher Schmidt-Supprian from Trinity College Dublin, Professor Chowdhury will aim to identify the key users, actions and activities around the management of different types of legal deposit collections, and the carbon footprint of the activities.

Stimulating research

The RSE’s Research Awards Programme runs twice a year in spring and autumn and aims to support Scotland’s research sector by nurturing promising talent, stimulating research, and promoting international collaboration.

RSE Vice President, Research, Professor Anne Anderson, said:

“The Research Awards Programme of the RSE is crucial for bolstering Scotland’s vibrant research community. The recipients of these awards will drive advancements in knowledge, tackle global challenges, and make significant contributions to Scottish society.

“On behalf of the RSE, I congratulate these distinguished researchers and their international collaborators, and I eagerly anticipate the results of their endeavours.”