Keenan Research Centre
Scientist Profiles
Howard Leong-Poi
MD, University of Toronto; FRCPC (cardiology), University of Toronto
Affiliations
Scientist in the Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital
Associate Professor of Medicine, Medicine/Cardiology, St. Michael's Hospital
Director, Echocardiography and Vascular Laboratory, Cardiology, St. Michael's Hospital
Clinical Specialty
Cardiology
Research Interests
Contrast echocardiography, molecular imaging, gene therapy, endothelial progenitor cells, therapeutic angiogenesis, small animal echocardiography
Selected Publications
Research Activities
My research program focuses on novel diagnostic and therapeutic applications for contrast ultrasound and targeted microbubbles. After completing a three-year research fellowship at the University of Virginia under the supervision of Drs. Sanjiv Kaul and Jonathan Lindner, I returned to St. Michael's Hospital to establish my research laboratory. We have the use of two dedicated research echocardiographic systems purchased through an equipment grant from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and custom-designed software for computer-based image analysis. Funded by operating grants from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the American Society of Echocardiography, the current research in the lab focuses on ultrasound-mediated gene and progenitor cell-based delivery for therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemic cardiac and peripheral vascular disease, and for amelioration of heart failure; as well as for molecular imaging of cell therapy and angiogenesis, using contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Collaboration exists with several other investigators, in small animal echocardiographic and vascular ultrasound imaging, as well as several clinical echocardiographic and vascular ultrasound research studies/protocols.
Other Activities
- Member, Cardiovascular B (CSB) Committee, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Member, Comprehensive Research Experience for Medical Students (CREMS) Advisory Committee, University of Toronto
Educational Activities
I am an associate member of the Institute of Medical Science. I currently supervise two master's students, three clinical fellows and one postdoctoral research fellows.
Contact
Phone: 416-864-5201
Fax: 416-864-5571
E-mail: Leong-poiH@smh.ca
