Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year (World Health Organization). CVD is caused mainly by atherosclerosis, a thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. Risk factors for disease include high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, smoking, type I diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, a diet high in saturated fats, and genetic components. Importantly, inflammation is recognized as a key component of atherosclerosis and it is classified as a chronic inflammatory disease of blood vessels. Lesions of atherosclerosis contain various immune cells coupled with cholesterol that infiltrates from the blood. Both innate and adaptive arms of the immune response have been identified in atherosclerosis with cholesterol-carrying low-density lipoprotein (LDL) triggering inflammation and antibody production.

Therapeutics targeting the immune response are currently the fastest growing class of drugs. However, the challenge of how we deliver targeted patient-specific approaches remains. Our goal with iPRIME is to reduce barriers for investigators to perform cutting-edge research on cardiovascular diseases by linking experts in Immunology, Imaging, and Informatics to drive Precision Medicine (iPRIME) forward at UVA. Since our inception and funding in 2022 we have built a cohort of over 1,100 patient samples to be used by approved researchers with the aims of discovering novel biomarkers of disease, using artificial intelligence to predict disease outcome, and determining personalized therapy response and risk.

News

VIEW ALL iPRIME NEWS

Emily Dennis and Maria Muroch of the McNamara and Bekiranov labs published their work, Loss of TET2 increases B-1 cell number and IgM production while limiting CDR3 diversity
Emily Dennis and Maria Muroch of the McNamara and Bekiranov labs published their work, Loss of TET2 increases B-1 cell number and IgM production while limiting CDR3 diversity

Graduate students Emily Dennis and Maria Muroch of the McNamara and Bekiranov labs, respectively, published their work “Loss of TET2 increases B-1 cell number and IgM production while limiting CDR3 diversity” in the Journal Frontiers of Immunology, along with several … Read More

Carter Center Researchers Awarded “Shark Tank” Prize at the School of Medicine Annual Retreat
Carter Center Researchers Awarded “Shark Tank” Prize at the School of Medicine Annual Retreat

Team Erickson, composed of Loren Erickson, PhD, Coleen McNamara, MD (Carter Center Director, iPRIME Domain Director), and Justin Taylor, PhD tied for first place at the inaugural “Shark Tank” Competition at School of Medicine Retreat.  The competing teams submitted proposals … Read More

Jeff Wilson Featured in Article, Allergic Responses to Common Foods Increase Risk of Heart Disease, Death
Jeff Wilson Featured in Article, Allergic Responses to Common Foods Increase Risk of Heart Disease, Death

New research suggests sensitivity to common food allergens such as dairy and peanuts could be an important and previously unappreciated cause of heart disease, and the increased risk for cardiovascular death even includes people without obvious food allergies. UVA Health … Read More

Oom Pattarabanjird (MSTP trainee with the McNamara lab) received an award for top poster at the recent Atherosclerosis Gordon Conference
Oom Pattarabanjird (MSTP trainee with the McNamara lab) received an award for top poster at the recent Atherosclerosis Gordon Conference

Oom Pattarabanjird (MSTP trainee with the McNamara lab) received an award for top poster at the recent Atherosclerosis Gordon Conference in Barcelona for her poster entitled “Human Marginal Zone B cells Produce Atheroprotective IgM and Confer Protection from Vascular Disease.” … Read More

Dr. Loren Erickson and Dr. John Lukens received an NOA supplement for their project, IgE antibody responses to the oligosaccharide galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal) in murine and human atherosclerosis 
Dr. Loren Erickson and Dr. John Lukens received an NOA supplement for their project, IgE antibody responses to the oligosaccharide galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal) in murine and human atherosclerosis 

iPRIME members Dr. Loren Erickson and Dr. John Lukens received an NOA supplement for their project “IgE antibody responses to the oligosaccharide galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal) in murine and human atherosclerosis”.  Congratulations to their team for their excellent work investigating the link between … Read More