We begin with an understanding that the heart is not just a pump.
It is a living archive of experience, adapting, signaling, and remembering far more than biology once assumed.
Trauma is not invisible; it can leave physiological signatures in inflammatory pathways and cardiometabolic risks that shape long-term health.
We study these signatures not to pathologize, but to understand how the body adapted to experiences of severe stress…
and how we can use this knowledge to promote the health of the body and mind.
Biology is not destiny. The mind and heart are plastic.
Neurocardiac circuits can be rewired, threat detection systems can recalibrate, stress-encoded rhythms can shift,
inflammation can resolve, and coherence can return. We reject the idea that trauma “stays forever.”
Science shows otherwise, and we strive to shift trajectories toward health.
Recovery begins with recognizing the deep interconnection between the mind and the heart.
It is critical to attend to the heart health of individuals dealing with the consequences of traumatic events like a natural disaster,
combat, or assault, and it is imperative to attend to the emotional health of patients who have experienced cardiac events.
Processing these experiences at the level of emotions, thoughts, and internal physiological signals has the power
to help individuals regain a sense of safety—both internally and externally. To hone the capacity to discern danger from safety,
and to be able to feel at home in one’s body and one’s surroundings.
We commit to translating this understanding into tools:
Making cardiovascular trauma science actionable for clinicians, accessible for communities,
and transformative for individuals who have lived through adversity.
Healing trauma from the heart is measurable, trainable, and scalable. It is not metaphor, it is physiology.
Our mission is to map how adversity shapes the heart and to create pathways that restore it,
transforming physiological scars into psychological and physiological strength, signal by signal, beat by beat.
“Our research starts from a key premise:
trauma can get under the skin and impact
the health of the mind and body. By harnessing
this understanding, we work to promote a
comprehensive state of health.”
