Towards the Development of a Molecular, Morphological and Mechanical Model for the Characterisation of Carotid Plaque Rupture

Project summary

Catastrophic stroke is a global leading cause of death. 30% of strokes is triggered by the rupture of a vulnerable carotid artery plaque which can be characterised by certain morphological features. This project will address a critical challenge in biomechanical cardiovascular research using a novel integrated molecular-mechanical approach.

This project ultimately creates an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Departments of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at Erasmus MC resulting in the integration of the 3 functional layers and thereby disclosing the key drivers in plaque rupture for the development of a plaque rupture risk screening protocol.