VCIRC.ORG exists to build a teaching laboratory devoted to the study of molecular cardiovascular medicine in Roanoke. Student investigators (in their last year of high school or in college) will be mentored while studying the effects of oxygen on gene expression in heart disease. VCIRC.ORG will prove to be a key factor in the 21st Century renaissance of Roanoke and will complement the strengths of the other newly formed biomedical research endeavors in Roanoke.

Local secondary and college students will be offered an option for mentoring in molecular biology by VCIRC.ORG. We can be certain that molecular biology will be the language of life sciences in the 21st Century. There are relatively few options available for local students to learn to think in the language of this science, and without a cadre of young ambassadors from Roanoke seeking collaboration in institutions worldwide there will be little chance of Roanoke competing effectively for the recruitment of young and talented scientists and health care practitioners of tomorrow. VCIRC.ORG exists to fill the future gap by linking national and international partners in academia and industry with local students.

The molecular biology of cardiovascular disease will be the focus of study at VCIRC.ORG and this focus also drives our developmental efforts. Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic have resolved to develop a much-needed biomedical research program in Roanoke with the founding of the VTC Medical School and Research Institute. The molecular biology of cardiovascular disease is not among the primary foci of this new collaboration. We think that a local focus on molecular cardiovascular medicine is necessary. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Virginia and in the developed world. New diagnostics and therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases in the 21st century will come from molecular biology, not small molecule pharmacology or refinements of existing surgical procedures. VCIRC.ORG will, with its singular focus, complement the strengths of the new VTC institutions that are charged with a broader scope. The adjacent Roanoke Heart Institute PLC (a center for clinical trials) will also be a partner in the development of translational strategies to apply the research products of VCIRC.ORG and will participate in the training of future practitioners of the molecular cardiovascular medical sciences.