Grant: Team Grant: Chronic Disease Risk and Intervention Strategies - LOI

WOmen's Vascular hEalth through the lifespan Network - WOVEN The overall goal of this multidisciplinary and multi-thematic team is to optimize women's vascular health through the lifespan via a synergistic research program with cross-cutting and complementary expertise. Over the past decade, there have been great advances in knowledge translation regarding cardiovascular disease (CVD). Because of better risk factors control, the mortality due to CVD has been decreasing. However, trends are less favorable in women, especially young women whose increasing obesity prevalence is slowing down progress. We propose to create a pan-Canadian team of expert investigators to promote and facilitate high-quality and innovative team-based research in the area of women's vascular health from a basic science perspective to clinical implications. Identification and evaluation of vascular disease etiology and presentation during earlier stage of life (peripregnancy period), processes of care (diagnosis/treatment) during mid-life (perimenopausal period), and outcomes during later stage of life (postmenopausal period) will be Women's Vascular Health Through the Life Span network's (WOVEN) principal goals. Specifically, we aim to develop, conduct and evaluate a) life style intervention studies in the peripregnancy period, b) vascular imaging studies in the perimenopausal period and c) stroke management programs in the post menopausal period. The novelty of the present research program is its focus on vascular health during the crucial periods of a woman's vascular life. WOVEN constitutes a unique team with expertise in biomarkers, vascular imaging, exercise, psychosocial and environmental interventions, genetics, and cardiovascular epidemiology. We believe our diverse expertise will enable us to develop and test interventions targeted at women at high risk of vascular disease during these critical periods, with the ultimate goal of optimizing vascular health.