The four international teams will work on projects ranging from studying warning signs of future heart disease after pregnancy to pinpointing the effects of anti-inflammatory drugs on atherosclerosis, the main cause of heart attacks and strokes. They will benefit from a shared £4.7m package.

Other projects are investigating the underlying causes of cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that can cause heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest.

The partnership has awarded four awards to date, with the second round of funding specifically aimed at supporting mid-career researchers in three countries. The award also helps researchers accelerate their potential to become future leaders in their research fields.

Professor Metin Avkiran, Deputy Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said the BHF was delighted to be able to build on the award’s success over the past five years.

“By helping the nation’s brightest people come together and collaborate on urgent problems, we can ensure that the funds donated by our generous supporters support even more life-saving research.” said.

“Scientific progress grows through international collaboration. Through this funding, we can strengthen collaborations between future research leaders and reap rewards long after these projects end.” .”

photograph: Los Muertos Crew