A Medical Device Daily

Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, California) reported that it has awarded a multi-year grant of $5 million to The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, to establish The Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology.

The new center is focused on researching and developing the next generation of cardiovascular devices, Edwards said.

Michael Mussallem, CEO for Edwards, called the grant “a testament to our dedication to providing innovative solutions for people fighting cardiovascular disease, as well as our commitment to strengthening the communities in which we live and work.”

The center will promote interaction and collaboration between students, faculty members and experts by incorporating both undergraduate and graduate programs related to heart and vascular diseases. The center will also

provide a training environment for hosting prominent experts in the fieldof cardiovascular technology.

It will be located in a new building on the UC Irvine campus scheduled for completion in August 2009.

Nicolaos Alexopoulos, dean of The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, said, “UC Irvine is located in one of the largest medical device company clusters in the world, which I believe uniquely positions us to address this critical health care area and initiate a world class center.”

Edwards’ gift comes from The Edwards Lifesciences Fund, which supports advancements in knowledge and improvements in quality of life to help those affected by cardiovascular disease, particularly in the communities where the company’s employees live and work.

Edwards is focused on heart valve manufacturing, heart valve repair and acute hemodynamic monitoring.