About Us
At the Michael E. DeBakey Institute
for Comparative Cardiovascular Science and Biomedical Devices,
cardiovascular scientists, engineers, and clinicians from Texas
A&M University and the UT Medical School in Houston have joined
forces to fight cardiovascular disease in both human and veterinary
patients. Administratively housed in the Texas A&M University
College of Veterinary Medicine, the Institute has unique access to
naturally-occurring cardiovascular disease in animals. Through the
use of novel cardiovascular devices and pharmaceuticals in humans
and animals, we can play a pivotal role in improving the quality of
life of all species. The DeBakey Institute is named for the world's
most renowned cardiothoracic surgeon and cardiovascular researcher.
Like Dr. DeBakey, we are dedicated to relentlessly pursuing
scientific and technological advances to save lives.
The DeBakey Institute is located in
a 15,000 sq. ft. freestanding facility containing operating rooms
for both acute and chronic sterile surgeries, recovery rooms,
treatment rooms, as well as animal housing facilities for both
acute and chronic studies ranging from small to large species. Our
laboratories and teaching hospital maintain state of the art
surgical, and intensive care facilities. Instrumentation for data
acquisition and analysis along with technical assistance exists
throughout the Institute's facilities.
The breadth and depth of funding
sources for the DeBakey Institute ensures the continuity of
programs and provides the opportunity to explore the frontiers of
cardiovascular sciences and medicine. Federal funding from the
National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, and
National Science Foundation provides a significant portion of our
base research funding. Competitive grants from specialty
organizations such as the Whitaker Foundation, American Heart
Association and American Lung Association also contribute to our
research activities. A significant revenue stream also comes from
partnerships with industry to evaluate cardiovascular devices prior
to FDA approval. Revenue stability is ensured by endowments from
private organizations such as the Sid Richardson Foundation and
from individuals who have financed the Tom and Joan Read Endowed
Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery and the Wiseman-Lewie-Worth Chair
in Cardiology. Since the Founding of the Institute in 1999, total
funds from private, state, and federal sources acquired by the
Institute and its 19 Founding Fellows have exceeded $50 M.