Barts Health among global top 10 for heart research
Barts Health has been named among the world's top 10 institutions outside the US for its contribution to heart research.
The trust was ranked ninth in the 2026 Scientific Excellence Top 10, published by the US-based Cardiovascular Research Foundation.
It is the only UK organisation to feature on the list.
The ranking is based on the number and quality of research selected for presentation at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2026, a major international conference where doctors and scientists share the latest developments in heart treatment.
Barts Health is home to Barts Heart Centre at St Bartholomew's Hospital, which treats more than 80,000 patients a year from across east London and beyond.
The news comes just weeks after James Frith, the minister for health innovation, visited St Bartholomew's to see how the trust is helping patients get faster access to clinical trials.
More than 20,000 patients took part in research across Barts Health in 2025/26. The trust is also the UK's top recruiter to cardiovascular trials and, for the seventh year running, has recruited more patients to commercial drug trials than any other NHS provider.
Dr Jenny Rivers, director of research and development at Barts Health, said the ranking reflected the hard work of research teams across the trust.
She said: “We’re incredibly proud to see our heart research recognised on the world stage. Research gives our patients access to promising new treatments, while discoveries made here in east London have the potential to improve heart care for people around the world.”
I thank the team for giving me a choice
Last year, Michelina Alfieri was one of 28 patients who took part in a Barts Health trial testing a new, less invasive alternative to surgery for a common cause of high blood pressure.
The trial gave her access to the new treatment. She said: “My recovery was almost immediate. I could return to my normal routine straight away. I thank the team for giving me a choice.”
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