The Morehouse School of Medicine Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) was established in July 1999 as a Center of Research Excellence under the founding leadership of Gary H. Gibbons, M.D.  CVRI was initially funded in part by a grant from the NIH National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities and the NIH Heart, Lung and Blood Institute program to develop cardiovascular research centers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The institute is a multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary organization that transcends traditional academic departmental structures to focus on advancing cardiovascular health through leading-edge discovery science, knowledge creation and education.

We envision that CVRI will emerge as the preeminent leader in serving minority communities and the nation by maintaining its passionate focus on pursuing excellence in cardiovascular research that yields innovative discoveries that advance minority health.