Asian charity donates £10K to Leicester's Cardiovascular Research Centre
24th January 2012

A local heart charity has donated £10,001 in support of the University of Leicester Cardiovascular Research Centre at Glenfield Hospital. In August the University launched the public phase of its appeal to raise the final £1million required to complete and equip the Cardiovascular Research Centre (CRC). The new £12.6 million research centre will impact radically on both the scale and quality of research and treatment of cardiovascular disease all over the UK. The cheque was presented to the University of Leicester by the Heartsearch Charity Committee on Thursday 19th January 2012 at the Stoneycroft Hotel, Leicester.

The presentation was made by Committee members Mr. Jayantibhai Chandarana (Chair of Trustees), Mr. Hemendra Ghelani (Chair of Management Committee / Trustee), Mr. Gulabbhai Mistry (Treasurer), Mr. Naresh Popat (Chair Fund raising committee), Miss. Sunita Joshi, Mr. Hakim Khalifa, Mr. Arvind Mistry (Secretary) to Ave Vinick, Deputy Director of Development at the University, and will benefit the University of Leicester Cardiovascular Research Centre Appeal.

Cardiovascular disease is the UK’s biggest killer. It causes 1 in 3 deaths in this country and kills over 198,000 people in the UK every year. Each day, in the East Midlands alone, 9 people die prematurely of heart disease and every 6 minutes somebody dies of a heart attack. The University has committed over £6 million of its capital resources to this major project and the British Heart Foundation has provided flagship funding for the Centre.

Consultant Cardiologist Professor Nilesh Samani is Head of the University’s Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, where he holds the prestigious British Heart Foundation Chair in Cardiology. He is a Leicester alumnus and one of the foremost researchers in cardiovascular genetics in the world. Professor Samani said: “The state-of-the-art Research Centre will undertake world leading research in heart disease and further Leicester's reputation as an internationally acclaimed centre of excellence in cardiovascular research.”

Ave Vinick, Deputy Director of Development at the University, said: “We are delighted by the tremendous support that Heartsearch have shown towards the Appeal.

“The £12.6m Cardiovascular Research Centre, which is due for completion in July 2012, will enable more people with a susceptibility to, or suffering from, cardiovascular disease to benefit from greater understanding, prediction, treatment and care.

“The new Research Centre will radically transform the scale and quality of research undertaken into cardiovascular disease and seek to improve the health and life expectations of thousands of patients and the general public in Leicestershire, across the UK and worldwide.”

To support the CRC Appeal visit www2.le.ac.uk/alumni/crcappeal

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