From the time of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s formation in 2007, our Board of Directors has been very clear about its "Hope for Hearts" purpose: 1) To fund, support and conduct research that potentially could be a “game changer” in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. This is the foundation’s reason for being and the source of the passion of our physician researchers whose common goal is to make a difference and improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients everywhere. From the inception of the Foundation, it has been very important to us to strive for a significant proportion of our funding to come from independent sources (particularly individual donations) rather than from pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers. The compelling reason for this is that it gives us the freedom to pursue research avenues without concern that they be attractive or lucrative to industry, thereby enabling us to explore the widest variety of clinical options. 2) To educate our patients and contributors about: The Foundation’s pursuit of new clinical solutions What is happening in cardiovascular research and technology What they can do to protect and improve their own cardiovascular health. 3) To raise awareness of the latest techniques and therapies in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease both among our colleagues in the medical community and the general public. The Foundation is a certified non-profit charitable organization and was founded as the non-profit research arm of the Cardiovascular Medical Group of Southern California, a specialty cardiovascular practice that has been in practice for nearly 50 years. The medical practice was co-founded by the Foundation’s Chairman and President, Harold L. Karpman, MD, FACC, FACP. Dr. Karpman is a clinical professors of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.