Tardiff Discusses Cardiac Research In BizTucson

Jil Tardiff, professor of biomedical engineering and cellular and molecular medicine, recently discussed her research into Sudden Cardiac Death in an article in BizTucson Magazine.

Tardiff serves as the Steven M. Gootter Endowed Chair for the Prevention and Treatment of Sudden Cardiac Death, for the Gootter Foundation, a Tucson-based nonprofit whose mission is to "save lives by defeating Sudden Cardiac Death."

According to the article, Tardiff's research into SCD involves understanding the underlying mechanics of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disorder that inhibits the heart from pumping blood efficiently. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is one of the most common causes of SCD. Tardiff says any sort of heart disease is much more difficult to address once the process is started.

"What has become an enormous focus for myself and others in the field is to look at folks who haven't yet developed disease," she said. "That's a golden opportunity to intervene and change the natural history of the disorder."