Schulich Heart Program Report 2025

Donors like you make the Schulich Heart Program special.

A message of gratitude from Sunnybrook

All of the updates in this report have two key traits in common: they are transforming outcomes for our patients, and they couldn’t have happened without your support.

Your generosity is the catalyst for the Schulich Heart Program’s unique model of bringing innovations in cardiac and vascular care from research to practice to standard of care, often in record time.

From the tremendous progress we’re making in women’s heart health in our Cardio-Obstetrics and SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection) clinics; to our groundbreaking work in vascular limb preservation; to our record of taking devices from implementation locally to securing provincial funding for widespread adoption – you are enabling truly special initiatives.

On behalf of our entire team and the many patients who benefit from the advancements in care, research and education made possible by your support, thank you for helping elevate the standard of cardiac and vascular care globally.

Dr. Harindra Wijeysundera, MD, PhD, FRCP, FCCS, FAHA
Chief, Schulich Heart Program

“As impressive as the numbers are in this report, it’s important that volume is not our sole metric of success. The team and I are equally proud of delivering high-quality and compassionate care – and we can only do both with your support.”
– Dr. Harindra Wijeysundera

Robotic surgery transforming cardiac care

In April 2025, Dr. Derrick Tam led Sunnybrook’s first robotic mitral valve surgical procedure, and one of the first in the Greater Toronto Area. The minimally invasive procedure means patients recover faster, have shorter hospital stays and return to daily life sooner. Dr. Tam has already led five of the new robotic procedures at Sunnybrook and is aiming for 50 this year. This is part of a larger surgical robotics strategy supported by Sunnybrook Foundation that is advancing practice, improving outcomes and enhancing research, education and recruitment.

Donor support trailblazing patient care for women’s heart health

SCAD clinic offering patients new hope

Thanks to a specialized Sunnybrook clinic, Grace Chung is on the road to recovery from an often misunderstood heart condition.

Healthy and with no risk factors, the mother of three young children was rushed by ambulance to hospital in 2022, where it was confirmed she was having a heart attack as a result of spontaneous coronary artery disease (SCAD).

The exact cause of SCAD is still unclear, but Sunnybrook multidisciplinary team led by academic interventional cardiologist Dr. Mina Madan is making a meaningful difference thanks to donor support.

Launched in 2019, the Schulich Heart Program’s SCAD clinic is a leader in care for patients like Grace, working to unravel the mystery of SCAD and giving people hope.

In Grace’s, case, testing at Sunnybrook revealed she has mild fibromuscular dysplasia that weakens the artery walls, a known risk factor for SCAD.

As one of approximately 250 patients at the SCAD clinic, Grace will continue to receive care for up to three years, with monitoring and advice on how to live with her condition.

Helping patients like Grace get back to their lives and families inspires Dr. Madan and her team to continue to raise the bar for patient care. Says Dr. Madan:

“I am profoundly grateful to our donor community, whose support is vital to helping our patients learn about SCAD and make a full recovery after a life-altering event.”

Dr. Jennifer Amadio,
Cardiologist, Lead Cardio-Obstetrics 

Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic improving prevention, treatment and education

Sunnybrook’s Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic is a collaboration with Sunnybrook’s DAN Women & Babies Program, providing a new care pathway for pregnancy-related heart conditions. Since 2023, Dr. Jennifer Amadio and team have treated more than 115 patients and established partnerships with other local hospitals.

Accelerating ideas into action

Donor-supported Jack Tu Chair recognized nationally and leading research collaborations

Dr. Dennis Ko, Jack Tu Chair in Cardiovascular Outcomes Research and director of the Schulich Heart Research Program, continues to lead exciting international research collaborations to advance cardiac and vascular patient care.

Over the past year, Dr. Ko has collaborated with leading Canadian researchers to further our understanding of the relationship between sepsis and cardiovascular outcomes, and to produce risk models for patients with chronic coronary disease (CCD).

Dr. Ko also played a key role in the International Health Systems Research Collaborative (IHSRC), a Harvard-led initiative with researchers from 10 countries identifying potential areas to improve patient care by comparing valuable insights into procedural outcomes across diverse health-care systems.

Newly appointed Reichmann Family Chair to expand cardiovascular imaging research program

As the new Reichmann Family Chair in Cardiovascular Research, Dr. Idan Roifman will be expanding research and collaboration to position the Schulich Heart Program as a hub for imaging-focused registries and clinical trials.

Dr. Roifman is a global leader in cardiovascular imaging as well as health services and outcomes research. His focus also includes applying health services principles and techniques to cardiac imaging, with a goal of assessing and comparing clinical outcomes.

“I’m honoured to be recognized with the Reichmann Family Chair in Cardiovascular Research, an initiative that has accelerated research within the Schulich Heart Program,” says Dr. Roifman, a scientist in the Evaluative Clinical Sciences and Schulich Heart Research Program at Sunnybrook Research Institute.

“The opportunity afforded by this Chair will help expand capacity for cardiovascular research and build our imaging research into a globally renowned platform. It will also enable me to further my passion for mentoring the next generation of clinician-scientists, and to fostering an environment that encourages a commitment to discovery in order to improve patient care.”

Elevating cardiovascular care and technology

Donor support enables adoption of new devices

In March 2025, Sunnybrook was one of the sites approved for provincial funding from Ontario Health for two devices: the TriClip Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge device (TriClip TTEER) and Impella device, both of which are improving outcomes for high-risk patients.

Donor support has been integral to the Schulich Heart Program’s expertise on device development and policy implementation. This builds on our long history of taking new devices from research to standard of care.

Influencing practice beyond Sunnybrook

The impact of our work continues to benefit patients well beyond Sunnybrook. In April 2025, Ontario Health announced new clinical practice guidelines for chronic limb-threatening ischemia, a serious syndrome related to peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The guidelines were developed with major input from Sunnybrook’s vascular surgeons, cardiologists and endocrine team, and reflect their dedication to improving patient care across Ontario.

Interactive learning through technology

Led by vascular surgeon Dr. Giuseppe Papia, Project Saving Legs aims to improve PAD treatment with minimally invasive procedures and coordinated care. One of the priorities funded through Project Saving Legs is a new interactive education tool called Medinbox. This enables live demonstrations in restricted clinical spaces and builds awareness of our PAD research program.

Prestigious honours and major milestone for Dr. Giuseppe Papia

In April 2025, the Governor General of Canada named Dr. Giuseppe Papia as a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal for making “a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community.”

Dr. Papia also celebrated the Ride for Project Saving LegsTM team surpassing $1 million raised for life- changing research and education related to peripheral arterial disease (PAD) diagnosis and treatment. PAD affects up to 800,000 Canadians per year by reducing blood flow to limbs – meaning early diagnosis is critical for the improved outcomes.

Dr. Papia’s work was honoured with a Limb Preservation Excellence Award as part of the Global PAD IMPACT Awards.

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Schulich Heart Program Report

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