Advanced Research Tools for Heart, Vascular, and Pulmonary Science
The Cardiovascular Research Laboratory combines advanced imaging, vascular assessment, autonomic testing, exercise physiology, and liver health assessment to support multidisciplinary research across the lifespan. Equipment and instruments may be used individually or combined into customized protocols tailored to specific research questions, clinical trials, and population health studies. For a detailed description of the available equipment, click here.
The Philips EPIQ CVx is an advanced cardiovascular ultrasound platform that provides comprehensive assessment of cardiac structure, ventricular function, myocardial mechanics, blood flow, and vascular anatomy.
The system supports research in heart failure, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular aging, health disparities, and longitudinal cohort studies, while also providing clinically relevant evaluation of ventricular function, valvular disease, cardiomyopathies, diastolic dysfunction, and cardiac remodeling. When combined with vascular, autonomic, and exercise physiology testing, the EPIQ CVx serves as a cornerstone of comprehensive cardiovascular phenotyping.
NIHem Hemodynamic System
Vascular Function
The NIHem system provides noninvasive assessment of central blood pressure, pulse-wave velocity, arterial stiffness, and vascular aging. It supports research in hypertension, cardiometabolic disease, chronic kidney disease, vascular aging, and cardiovascular risk prediction, while also providing clinically relevant measures of vascular stiffness and central hemodynamic burden. Integration with echocardiography, endothelial function testing, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing enables comprehensive evaluation of cardiovascular health.
EndoPAT
Vascular Function
The EndoPAT system evaluates peripheral endothelial function and microvascular health through reactive hyperemia testing. This technology supports research in early atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes, smoking, sleep disorders, cardiovascular prevention, and vascular health, while providing noninvasive assessment of endothelial dysfunction and microvascular impairment.
EndoPAT measurements complement arterial stiffness, vascular imaging, and cardiovascular function assessments to provide a more complete picture of vascular health.
SimpleABI System
Vascular Function
The SimpleABI system provides automated measurement of ankle-brachial index and peripheral circulation to assess lower-extremity vascular health. It supports research on peripheral artery disease, diabetes, vascular aging, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular risk prediction, and serves as a validated tool for screening and monitoring peripheral artery disease.
ABI measurements complement assessments of arterial stiffness, endothelial function, and cardiovascular structure and function.
Dolphin IQ Transcranial Doppler
Cerebrovascular Function
The Dolphin IQ Transcranial Doppler system provides real-time assessment of cerebral blood flow velocity, cerebrovascular reactivity, and cerebral autoregulation. It supports research in cognitive aging, dementia, cerebrovascular disease, concussion, migraine, autonomic dysfunction, POTS, and long COVID, while enabling evaluation of vascular contributions to brain health.
Combined with autonomic, vascular, and cardiovascular testing, the system offers unique insight into the interactions between the heart, blood vessels, and brain.
Caretaker VitalStream
Autonomic Function
The Caretaker VitalStream system provides continuous beat-to-beat monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, and hemodynamic responses during physiologic challenges. It supports research in autonomic function, POTS, syncope, orthostatic intolerance, long COVID, and physiologic stress testing, while enabling detailed assessment of cardiovascular responses to postural and autonomic stressors.
The system is frequently used in conjunction with tilt-table testing, transcranial Doppler ultrasound, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing.
HUT™ Tilt Table
Autonomic Function
The HUT™ Tilt Table provides controlled orthostatic stress testing through rapid head-up tilt protocols designed to evaluate autonomic cardiovascular regulation. It supports research in POTS, orthostatic hypotension, vasovagal syncope, autonomic dysfunction, and long COVID, while also contributing to the evaluation of unexplained dizziness, syncope, and orthostatic intolerance.
When paired with beat-to-beat hemodynamic monitoring and cerebral blood flow assessment, the system provides a comprehensive platform for autonomic and cerebrovascular research.
UltimaTM CardiO2 Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing System
Exercise Physiology
The Ultima™ CardiO2 system performs comprehensive cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to assess integrated cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, and muscular responses to exercise. It supports research in exercise physiology, obesity, diabetes, heart failure, pulmonary disease, aging, rehabilitation, and intervention studies, while providing clinically relevant evaluation of exercise intolerance, dyspnea, functional capacity, and rehabilitation outcomes.
As the gold standard for assessing physiologic reserve and aerobic fitness, CPET serves as a central component of the laboratory's integrated phenotyping platform.
Lode Corival Recumbent Ergometer
Exercise Physiology
The Lode Corival is an electronically braked recumbent cycle ergometer designed for exercise testing and training in diverse populations. It supports research in obesity, aging, neurologic disorders, rehabilitation, and deconditioned populations, while facilitating exercise testing and rehabilitation in individuals with limited mobility.
Its recumbent design enhances participant comfort and accessibility while maintaining precise workload control.
Lode Excalibur Sport Ergometer
Exercise Physiology
The Lode Excalibur Sport is a precision cycle ergometer designed for advanced exercise physiology and human performance research. It supports studies in sports medicine, athletic performance, exercise interventions, and physiologic adaptation, and facilitates functional exercise assessment and rehabilitation.
The system provides highly accurate workload control, making it ideal for both research and clinical exercise applications.
Trackmaster TMX428CP Treadmill
Exercise Physiology
The Trackmaster TMX428CP is a medical-grade treadmill integrated with cardiopulmonary exercise testing systems to support comprehensive exercise assessment. It enables research in exercise physiology, cardiovascular fitness, obesity, aging, and intervention studies, while providing clinically relevant measures of exercise tolerance, functional capacity, and rehabilitation outcomes.
When combined with CPET and cardiovascular monitoring, the treadmill supports detailed evaluation of physiologic responses to exercise.
FibroScan® 630 Expert
Liver Health
The FibroScan® 630 Expert provides noninvasive assessment of liver stiffness, hepatic steatosis, and spleen stiffness using transient elastography technology. The platform supports research in MASLD/MASH, obesity, diabetes, cardiometabolic disease, chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, portal hypertension risk stratification, and liver–heart–metabolism interactions. Clinically, it aids in the assessment of fatty liver disease, liver stiffness and fibrosis, cirrhosis, and risk of portal hypertension.
By integrating liver health with cardiovascular, vascular, and exercise physiology assessments, FibroScan contributes to comprehensive cardiometabolic phenotyping.
MAC VU360 Resting ECG
Cardiac Health
The MAC VU360 provides standard 12-lead electrocardiography for assessment of cardiac electrical activity and rhythm. It supports research in arrhythmias, autonomic function, cardiovascular epidemiology, and clinical trials, while providing clinically relevant evaluation of cardiac rhythm and baseline cardiovascular status.
ECG data are routinely integrated with echocardiography, exercise testing, and autonomic assessments to support comprehensive cardiovascular phenotyping.
EarlyVue VS30 Vital Signs Monitor
Support Equipment
The EarlyVue VS30 is a clinical-grade monitoring system that measures blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, and temperature. It supports baseline physiologic characterization in clinical trials, longitudinal studies, and population health research while providing routine participant safety monitoring throughout laboratory procedures.
The system serves as a foundational component of all laboratory testing workflows.
Jamar Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer
Support Equipment
The Jamar Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer provides standardized measurement of handgrip strength, a widely recognized indicator of muscle function, physical performance, and physiologic reserve. It supports research in frailty, sarcopenia, aging, rehabilitation, and functional status assessment, while also contributing to the evaluation of muscle strength and recovery following illness or injury.
Grip strength measurements complement exercise physiology and healthy aging research conducted within the laboratory.
SECA Scale and Stadiometer
Support Equipment
The SECA anthropometric system provides standardized measurement of height, weight, and body mass index for research and clinical applications. It supports studies of obesity, body composition, population health, and longitudinal cohorts while providing essential anthropometric measures for cardiovascular and metabolic risk assessment.
These measurements form a core component of many integrated phenotyping protocols.
Emergency Cart & AED
Support Equipment
The laboratory maintains an emergency cart and automated external defibrillator (AED) to support participant and patient safety during exercise testing and other laboratory procedures. This equipment provides immediate access to emergency response resources and supports safe operation of clinical research protocols involving physiologic stress testing and exercise assessments.
