The Abboud Cardiovascular Research Center is comprised of nearly 200 researchers. A remarkable feature of the center has been the multiplicity of faculty leadership that has led the center's research program development and mentoring in a spirit of independence infused with shared ideals, common goals, and collegial interaction. This breadth and depth of leadership under the extraordinary direction of Dr. Abboud has been pivotal to the prominence of the center in virtually every field of cardiovascular research.

The center has modeled a culture of collaboration, team research and mentoring that has been emulated across the UI campus and adopted by most successful academic research institutions. It attained a stunning development into world-class status as characterized by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Basic research at the Abboud Cardiovascular Research Center is the wellspring from which translation and innovation flow. In line with the deep tradition at the University of Iowa, the center fosters new collaborative partnerships among programs, investigators, and cores, both within and outside the university in areas such as drug, device, and biotech development. Recent activities on that front include partnerships with the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Beijing University and the Institute for Molecular and Translational Cardiology, University of Heidelberg, Germany.