What’s New with Omega-3 Fatty Acids and COVID-19?
Richard Choi, MD, FRCP(C); Subodh Verma, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FAHA
Topics: COVID-19, Omega-3
- Details
Objectives
Learning Objectives:
The Biology of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Icosapent Ethyl (IPE) (Dr. Richard Choi)
The rationale and study design of the Vascepa COVID-19 Trial (Dr. Subodh Verma)
- To appreciate the potential therapeutic benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids and its derivatives
- Examine the latest findings of clinical trials implementing therapies with Omega-3 fatty acids and its derivatives
- Understand how these therapies may fit into the current COVID-19 pandemic
Faculty
Richard Choi MD, FRCP(C)
Dr. Richard Choi is a clinician-educator. He completed his residency training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the University of Toronto. He is staff cardiologist at Unity Health Toronto, St. Joseph's Health Centre and Lecturer in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He has a general cardiology practice in west Toronto and has an interest in medical education. He has been involved in developing and presenting multiple educational initiatives for primary care physicians and specialists in all aspects of cardiovascular medicine.
Subodh Verma MD, PhD, FRCSC, FAHA
Scientist • Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing
Knowledge Institute of Unity Health Toronto
Professor of Surgery and Pharmacology & Toxicology • University of Toronto
Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Surgery
Professor Subodh Verma is a globally recognized cardiac surgeon-scientist whose pioneering and interdisciplinary contributions have transformed the landscape of cardiovascular science, surgery and cardiometabolic medicine in Canada and around the world. He is Professor of Surgery, and Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Toronto, holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Surgery and maintains a high-volume adult cardiac surgical practice at St. Michael’s Hospital, where he performs approximately 250 procedures annually.
With approximately 800 peer-reviewed publications, a Google Scholar h-index of 144 and over 110,000 citations in February 2026, Dr Verma ranks among the top 0.1% of highly cited researchers globally. He has played a key role in landmark clinical trials, including all five pivotal SGLT2 inhibitor studies in heart failure (DAPA-HF, DELIVER, EMPEROR-Reduced, EMPEROR-Preserved, SOLOIST-WHF), and has led transformative translational studies such as EMPA-HEART, EMPA-HEART-2, CAMRA, SEARCH-AF, ACE, SLICE-CEA and NEWTON-CABG. His leadership in the GLP-1 receptor agonist space has yielded paradigm-shifting data in peripheral artery disease, atherosclerosis and HFpEF, through trials such as STRIDE, SELECT and STEP-HFpEF. He currently holds leadership roles in over 20 ongoing international cardiometabolic trials.
As the Founder and Chair of the CardioLink Trials Platform, Dr Verma established Canada’s first and to date only translational clinical trials infrastructure dedicated to cardiac surgery and cardiometabolic science. His groundbreaking discovery of human vascular stem cell exhaustion has unlocked novel mechanistic insights into atherosclerosis, obesity and diabetes—bridging high-impact human biology with clinical care.
Dr Verma is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the 2025 Canadian Cardiovascular Society Research Achievement Award – Basic and Translational Science, the 2025 Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons Achievement Award, the University of Toronto Lister Prize, the Howard Morgan Award from the ISHR, the Royal College Gold Medal and the Alumnus of Distinction Award from the University of Calgary. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and a past member of the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Dr Verma is also an award-winning educator, honoured with the University of Toronto Silver Shovel Award for teaching excellence. A passionate mentor, Dr Verma considers mentorship one of the most fulfilling aspects of his career and has played a formative role in shaping the careers of many students, residents, fellows and early-career scientists across disciplines.
He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Current Opinion in Cardiology and is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery and the European Journal of Heart Failure as well as a Guest Editor for Circulation and Journal of the American College of Cardiology. He recently completed a term as Associate Editor for the European Heart Journal. He is the current Scientific Program Chair for the Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons, where he continues to promote academic and clinical excellence across the surgical community.
Beyond his academic and clinical accomplishments, Subodh is deeply grounded in his personal life. He is proudly married to his best friend, Sandra, and is the devoted father of three children—Raj, Meena and Sonia. He credits a supportive family, collaborative colleagues and the unparalleled opportunities afforded to him by Canada as the foundation of his success.