The Cardiovascular Surgery Program of Rhode Island and The Miriam Hospitals specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of both basic and complex disorders of the heart.

Working in conjunction with Cardiovascular Surgery, the Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) and the Brown University Health Cardiovascular Institute are two of the best-funded cardiac surgery research programs in the country, specializing in areas of blood vessel regulation, myocardial protection, and regenerative therapies for the treatment of patients who are not candidates for traditional surgical or medical therapies.  

The main objective of the Division's research is collateral vessel formation with the vast majority of these cases supported by NIH funding. The Division also examines collateral vessel formation in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. This is an extension of other work in animal models to discern whether or not the effects that occur in the porcine collateral formation model do in fact occur in patients.