University of Glasgow and NHS Golden Jubilee Lead UK Role in £55 Million Women’s Heart Disease Initiative

University of Glasgow and NHS Golden Jubilee Lead UK Role in £55 Million Women’s Heart Disease Initiative

(IN BRIEF) The University of Glasgow will academically lead a major three-year international research programme focused on transforming the diagnosis and treatment of women’s heart disease. Sponsored by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the clinical research will be delivered at NHS Golden Jubilee in Clydebank, which will serve as the lead cardiac site. The programme focuses on angina with no obstructive coronary arteries, or ANOCA, a condition affecting many women who experience persistent chest pain but are told their heart appears normal after standard tests. The research will address conditions including microvascular angina and vasospastic angina, both of which can be difficult to detect using conventional methods. The Wellcome Leap VISIBLE programme, co-funded by the British Heart Foundation and Pivotal, forms part of a £55 million global initiative. It will include five clinical trials, new diagnostic approaches and research into the causes and progression of ANOCA. Ten UK heart centres will participate, with the Scottish team the only UK group selected through the global process.

(PRESS RELEASE) GLASGOW, 13-Jul-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Heart specialists in Scotland will play a leading role in a major international research programme designed to transform the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in women.

The three-year programme will be led academically by the University of Glasgow and sponsored by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Clinical research will be delivered at NHS Golden Jubilee in Clydebank, Scotland’s national centre for heart and lung services, which will act as the lead cardiac site.

Ten heart centres across the United Kingdom will take part in the programme, which aims to improve care for women affected by angina with no obstructive coronary arteries, known as ANOCA.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women worldwide, affecting around one in three women. Yet many women who experience persistent chest pain undergo standard tests and are told their heart appears normal, even though they may have forms of angina that are difficult to detect with conventional investigations.

Research shows that two out of three women investigated for angina do not have blocked arteries. As a result, many cases can remain undiagnosed and untreated, leaving patients with ongoing symptoms, repeated tests and long periods of uncertainty.

The Wellcome Leap VISIBLE programme, co-funded by the British Heart Foundation and Pivotal, aims to address this gap by improving diagnosis and treatment for women with ANOCA, including microvascular angina and vasospastic angina.

Professor Colin Berry, Professor of Cardiology and Imaging at the University of Glasgow and Consultant Cardiologist at the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital, said the programme represents an important advance in women’s heart care.

“This programme represents a major step forward in improving heart care for women,” said Professor Berry. “For too long, many women with chest pain have been told their hearts are normal when, in fact, the underlying problem has simply been harder to detect.”

He added that NHS Golden Jubilee has spent many years working with patients and partners, including the British Heart Foundation, to better understand these conditions.

“The Wellcome Leap VISIBLE programme is a once in a generation opportunity and we are excited to get started,” said Professor Berry.

The programme will include a platform of five clinical trials, repurposing medicines for ANOCA and testing a lifestyle-based therapy. It will also support the development of new diagnostic approaches to detect forms of heart disease that have previously remained “invisible”, as well as research into the causes and progression of the condition.

The project forms part of a £55 million global initiative bringing together international research teams. NHS Golden Jubilee will lead clinical delivery as the principal cardiac centre.

The Scottish team was selected through a highly competitive global process and is the only group from the United Kingdom chosen for the programme. It is also one of only four selected teams outside the United States.

The research builds on more than 20 years of work by clinicians, researchers and patients at NHS Golden Jubilee and partner health boards, helping establish Scotland as a centre of innovation in women’s cardiovascular health.

Carolynne O’Connor, Chief Executive of NHS Golden Jubilee, said the programme highlights the value of collaboration between patients, researchers, clinicians, industry partners and healthcare organisations.

“By working collaboratively with our partners across Scotland, the UK and internationally, we have an opportunity to advance understanding of a condition that affects millions of women worldwide and help shape the future of cardiovascular care,” said O’Connor.

She added that the investment recognises the expertise and ambition of the teams involved and reinforces NHS Golden Jubilee’s position as a centre of excellence for research, innovation and patient care.

ANOCA is often linked to problems in the smallest blood vessels of the heart, known as the coronary microvasculature. These vessels cannot be seen on standard angiograms, which means many women can experience symptoms for years without receiving a clear diagnosis.

The programme involves partners including Newcastle University, Cedars-Sinai, Radboud University Medical Centre and the International Heart Spasms Alliance.

VISIBLE: Women’s Heart Disease Revealed is funded by Wellcome Leap and supported by the British Heart Foundation. The programme brings together leading experts from the UK, Europe, the United States, Tanzania and Australia to address a condition that has long been under-recognised.

The wider Wellcome Leap VISIBLE programme includes 12 principal investigators from institutions including UMC Utrecht, the University of New South Wales, Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, RTI International, the University of Michigan, Greenstone Biosciences, Columbia University, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the University of Washington, Yale University School of Medicine and Columbia University.

With NHS Golden Jubilee leading the clinical programme, the research has the potential to change how women’s heart disease is understood, diagnosed and treated for future generations.

Information sources:

1. Wellcome Leap: wellcomeleap.org
2. British Heart Foundation: bhf.org.uk
3. British Heart Foundation: bhf.org.uk

VISIBLE: Women’s Heart Disease Revealed

The programme – VISIBLE: Women’s Heart Disease Revealed – is funded by Wellcome Leap and supported by the British Heart Foundation, bringing together leading experts from across the UK, Europe and beyond, in a global effort to tackle a condition that has long gone under-recognised.

The Wellcome Leap Visible programme includes 12 principal investigators, who come from the UK, the Netherlands, Tanzania, Australia and the United States.

The other principal investigators for the programme are:

• Professor Hester den Ruijter, UMC Utrecht
• Associate Professor Erin Howden, University of New South Wales
• Dr Peter Kisenge, Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute
• Dr Rebecca McNeil, RTI International
• Professor Venkatesh L. Murthy, University of Michigan
• Dr Paul D. Pang, Greenstone Biosciences, Inc.
• Dr Megha Prasad, Columbia University
• Professor Harmony Reynolds, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
• Professor Gregory Roth, University of Washington, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
• Dr Samit M. Shah, Yale University School of Medicine
  Professor Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Columbia University

Wellcome Leap link: VISIBLE | Wellcome Leap: Unconventional Projects. Funded at Scale.

Media Contact:

media@gla.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of Glasgow