The National Science Foundation has awarded $550,000 to fund a collaborative new research project to develop a noninvasive, computational modeling technology for assessing the likelihood of a heart attack in patients with high levels of plaque buildup in their arteries — the primary cause of heart attack in the U.S. today.
Despite the major role it plays in heart attacks, noninvasive identification of vulnerable plaques remains an unsolved problem in cardiovascular disease. But engineers at The University of Texas at Austin may have found a solution and, through collaboration with an industry partner, will develop better and more cost-effective noninvasive diagnostic procedures and treatment options.
