Celebrating the Breakthroughs Shaping the Future of Canine Health. Meet the 2025 Canine Health Discovery Award Finalists.

Heart Health Research

The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) supports research into canine heart health, focusing on heart development, structural disease, arrhythmias, diagnostics, therapeutics, surgery, and enabling technologies.

Why We Focus on Heart Health

Heart diseases such as structural abnormalities, arrhythmias, and developmental issues are major health concerns for dogs, significantly affecting their quality of life. These conditions, which include heart murmurs, congenital defects, and irregular heart rhythms, can lead to heart failure, reduced exercise tolerance, and in severe cases, early death. While veterinary medicine has made progress, many dogs still face challenges due to the lack of effective treatments and early diagnostic tools. By studying the mechanisms behind these heart conditions, we can develop better diagnostic methods and treatment options that lead to longer, healthier lives for affected dogs. Additionally, breakthroughs in heart health research have the potential to benefit human medicine, as many cardiovascular issues in dogs mirror those in humans.

Research Grants

Texas A&M AgriLife Research Logo
2025 Active Grant
Heart Health $209,500.00
03365: Genetic Risk of Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Channelopathies in Sighthounds
Breed(s): Borzoi, Hound Group, Sighthounds
Researcher(s): Brian W Davis, PhD
Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Logo
2025 Active Grant
Heart Health $177,947
03275: Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Zeroing in on a Cause
Breed(s): All Dogs
Researcher(s): Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD
Tufts University Logo
2024 Active Grant
Heart Health $137,135
03279: Understanding the Immune Landscape of Canine Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease and the Role of Inflammation in Disease Pathogenesis
Breed(s): Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Dachshund
Researcher(s): Vicky Yang DVM, PhD, DACVIM
University of Florida Logo
2024 Active Grant
Heart Health $43,767
03280: Exploring the Relationship between Serum Chloride Concentrations and the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System in Dogs with Congestive Heart Failure
Breed(s): All Dogs
Researcher(s): Darcy B Adin, DVM, DACVIM and Autumn N Harris, DVM, DACVIM
University of Illinois Logo
2024 Active Grant
Heart Health $67,176
03274: Multimodal Quantification of Mitral Regurgitation in Dogs with Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease
Breed(s): Small and Toy Breeds
Researcher(s): Ryan Fries, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), DECVIM-CA (Cardiology)
2024
Heart Health $67,176.00
03274: Multimodality quantification of mitral regurgitation in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease
Researcher(s): Ryan Fries, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM
University of Florida Logo
2023 Active Grant
Heart Health $52,634
03121: Optimizing HITI CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing for Treating Defective Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase 4 in Doberman Pinschers
Breed(s): Doberman Pinscher
Researcher(s): Christopher J Martyniuk, PhD and Amara H. Estrada, DVM
2023 Active Grant
Heart Health $16,200
03101-A: Enhancing Autophagy to Control Canine Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease
Breed(s): Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Researcher(s): Brendan M. Corcoran, MVB, PhD
University of Illinois Logo
2022 Closed Grant
Heart Health, Infection & Immunity $100,556
02986: Catechol O-Methyltransferase as a Molecular Drug Target in Heartworm
Breed(s): All Dogs
Researcher(s): William Witola, BVetMEd, PhD
University of Florida Logo
2022 Active Grant
Heart Health $99,913
03031: Tolerability and Clinical Efficacy of Oral Potassium Chloride Supplementation for Treatment of Hypochloremia in Canine Congestive Heart Failure
Breed(s): All Dogs
Researcher(s): Darcy B. Adin, DVM, MS
Royal Veterinary College, University of London Logo
2021 Active Grant
Heart Health $107,922
02955: Towards Precision Medicine for Canine Cardiac Disease: A Genomic and Machine-Learning Approach to Prediction of Risk and Outcomes in Canine Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease
Breed(s): Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Miniature Schnauzer, Russell Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier
Researcher(s): Lucy Davison, VetMB, PhD
University of Florida Logo
2021 Closed Grant
Heart Health $5,452.76
02947-E: 2021 Summer Veterinary Student Educational Grant – University of Florida
Breed(s): Doberman Pinscher
Researcher(s): Darcy B Adin, DVM, DACVIM
2020 Closed Grant
Heart Health $115,474
02808-MOU: Identification of a Second Genetic Risk Allele(s) Associated with the Development of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy in the Boxer Dog
Breed(s): Boxer, Bulldog
Researcher(s): Kathryn M Meurs, DVM, PhD and Steven Friedenberg, DVM, PhD
Iowa State University Logo
2019 Closed Grant
Heart Health $35,473
02623: Circulating Cortisol Concentrations in Canine Congestive Heart Failure
Breed(s): All Dogs
Researcher(s): Jessica Ward, DVM
Texas A&M AgriLife Research Logo
2019 Closed Grant
Heart Health $65,691
02632: Canine Chagas Disease: Characterizing Cardiac Disease and Developing Screening Recommendations for Asymptomatic Dogs Seropositive for Trypanosoma cruzi
Breed(s): All Dogs
Researcher(s): Ashley B. Saunders, DVM

Join Us in Advancing
Canine Health

With over $3.8 million invested in canine heart health research, your support helps fund vital research that aims to improve outcomes for dogs with cardiovascular diseases.