Digital Commons Network^™

Cross-Species Functional Analysis Of A De Novo Dclk1 Variant Associated With A Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Hieu Hoang, Jonathan H Sheehan, Vanessa Gomez, Jill A Rosenfeld, Lindsay C Burrage, Gary A Silverman, Patricia Dickson, Karen K Moeller, Lisa Emrick, Mythily Ganapathi, Dustin Baldridge, Oguz Kanca, Carlos Bacino, Brendan Lee, Hugo J Bellen, Shinya Yamamoto, Wendy K Chung, Tim Schedl, Michael Wangler, Andrew Yoo, Stephen C Pak

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neurodevelopmental disorders are genetically heterogeneous and often remain unresolved despite extensive clinical evaluation and genomic testing. Here, we report a proband with a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder evaluated through the Undiagnosed Diseases Network who harbored heterozygous de novo missense variants in two genes, DCLK1 (p.(S228L)) and SFPQ (p.(P623R)). To determine the clinical significance of these candidate variants, we employed an integrative pipeline combining structural modeling, cross-species functional genomics, and patient-derived neuronal analyses. While the SFPQ variant yielded no detectable phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster, modeling the DCLK1 p.S228L variant in Caenorhabditis elegans induced severe locomotor deficits and aberrant neuronal morphology, including …

Safety Of Early Discharge And Abbreviated Nimodipine Course In Patients With Good-Grade Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Patrick R. Toyota, Alexander D. Rebchuk, Michael A. Rizzuto, Hugh Mchugh, Kelsey Cruz, Charles S. Haw, Gary J. Redekop, Peter Gooderham

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remains a devastating cerebrovascular emergency associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Current guidelines recommend 14-21 days of inpatient monitoring and a 21-day course of nimodipine following aSAH. This retrospective study evaluates early outcomes early discharge (≤14 days post-ictus) and an abbreviated nimodipine course in highly selected patients with good-grade aSAH managed under a standardized institutional protocol. Consecutive patients enrolled in the Vancouver Ruptured Aneurysm Database (VRAD) at Vancouver General Hospital between 2022 and 2025 were included. Inclusion criteria were good-grade aSAH (WFNS Grade I-III) and discharge home within 14 days of ictus. The primary outcome was …

Dnp Final Report: Enhancing Self-Regulated Learning And Metacognition For First-Semester Undergraduate Nursing Students, Carla S. Biondillo

DNP Final Reports

Background. First-year undergraduate nursing students often struggle to adapt their learning strategies to the higher-order thinking and clinical reasoning demands of nursing education. Ineffective study habits, low academic self-efficacy, and limited self-regulated learning (SRL) skills are consistently identified as predictors of attrition, which ranges from 20–50% nationally and internationally.

Purpose. At an academic medical center in rural East Texas, first-semester students report academic overwhelm and inadequate study strategies, consistent with national trends. A structured, evidence-based faculty coaching intervention targeting SRL and metacognition was found to be feasible within the collaborative, student-centered organizational culture.

Methods. A quality improvement (QI) design …

Performance Evaluation Of The Xpert® Hcv Test On Fingerstick Blood In A Prospective Observational Clinical Study At Clia-Waived Sites In The United States, Jennifer R Havens, L Madeline Mccrary, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: A major barrier to hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination in the United States is the lack of a point-of-care test to confirm the presence of HCV RNA. The purpose of this clinical trial was to evaluate the performance of the Xpert® HCV test at CLIA-waived sites in the United States.

METHODS: Participants at risk and/or with signs/symptoms of HCV infection provided fingerstick blood that was tested on the Xpert® HCV test and venous blood tested using the cobas® HCV and Elecsys® Anti-HCV II tests. Fingerstick blood was collected at CLIA-waived sites by individuals self-trained on collection procedures.

RESULTS: Participants …

The Best Of Both Worlds: How Combining A Large Language Model And A Rule-Based Algorithm Makes Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Surveillance More Efficient, Joshua Nordman, Claire Najjuuko, Nicholas Jeschke, Rachael E Snyders, Maria Cristina Vazquez Guillamet, Hilary Babcock, Patrick Reich, Andrew Atkinson, Jonas Marschall, Abby Sung, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) surveillance is critical for patient safety. Many healthcare systems use electronic algorithms to flag candidate infection events but still require manual chart review to confirm CAUTI cases. We evaluated the use of a large language model (LLM) to enhance CAUTI surveillance.

METHODS: We analyzed 919 potential CAUTI cases flagged by the electronic surveillance algorithm at Barnes-Jewish Hospital from 2021 to 2024. These cases were previously classified as 291 CAUTIs and 628 non-CAUTIs by trained infection preventionists (IPs). Several approaches for applying the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) CAUTI definition after extracting clinical data from …

Postmenopause: Understanding Utahns' Experiences, Cris Meier, Moth Huenemann, Cara Murray, Ashley Yaugher

All Current Publications

The first stage of menopause, known as perimenopause, is signaled by fluctuating or declining hormone levels, irregular menstruation, and the onset of symptoms such as hot flashes and mood changes. Menopause follows this phase, which is 12 consecutive months when no menstrual cycles occur in combination with hormone decline and experiencing additional symptoms (e.g., hot flashes, sleep disturbances).To better understand Utahns’ needs and preferences during and after menopause, Utah State University Extension researchers conducted a needs assessment to inform programming creation and delivery. This report details the results, identifying survey participants, women's sources of information, symptoms, and symptom management.

Perimenopause And Menopause: Understanding Utahns' Experiences, Cris Meier, Moth Huenemann, Cara Murray, Ashley Yaugher

All Current Publications

The first stage of menopause, known as perimenopause, is signaled by fluctuating or declining hormone levels, irregular menstruation, and the onset of symptoms such as hot flashes and mood changes. Menopause follows this phase, which is 12 consecutive months when no menstrual cycles occur in combination with hormone decline and experiencing additional symptoms (e.g., hot flashes, sleep disturbances).To better understand Utahns’ needs and preferences during menopause, Utah State University Extension researchers conducted a needs assessment to inform programming creation and delivery. This report details the results, identifying survey participants, women's sources of information, symptoms, and symptom management.

Personalizing Modern Heart Failure Therapy In Hfref: Bridging Evidence, Clinical Practice, And Future Perspectives, Ehsan Shahverdi, Amin Shahverdi, Sendooran Shahi, Carsten Schneider, Mathias Lange, Shadi Kamali

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) remains a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization worldwide despite substantial therapeutic advances. Over the past three decades, randomized clinical trials have established four foundational pharmacologic pillars of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT): renin–angiotensin system inhibition or angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibition, evidence-based beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. However, real-world implementation of these therapies remains suboptimal.

Objectives

To provide a contemporary state-of-the-art review of current evidence supporting GDMT in HFrEF, examine unresolved challenges in sequencing and optimization, and propose a practical phenotype-based framework to support individualized treatment decisions

. …

What Factors Do Patients Consider When Choosing A Hand Surgeon?, Monik Debkowska, Jeremy Ruskin, Brian Lynch, Samuel Caradonna, David Komatsu, Edward Wang, Samantha Muhlrad

Introduction: Many patients find themselves frustrated wasting time and money when searching for the right hand specialist, only to be referred to a different one. There has been little research evaluating patient decision making when choosing a hand surgeon. Specialists would benefit from learning how to optimize their practice to reach their appropriate patient population for maximum benefit and minimum resource waste, both for the patients and physicians. We therefore conducted a survey study to evaluate which factors patients consider important when choosing a hand surgeon, and if these factors differ based on patient demographics. Our hypothesis is that patients …

Candida Albicans Purulent Pericarditis Complicated By Cardiac Tamponade In A Critically Ill Burn Patient: A Case Report, Mutaz Althobaiti, Abdulrahman Alqahtani, Faisal Alanazi, Mohammad S. Alotaibi, Ibrahim Bahabri, Shikah Alsuwaid, Turki Almutairi, Fawaz Almutairi

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Candida pericarditis is a rare, life-threatening complication of invasive candidiasis, associated with high mortality.

We report this case of a young woman with 60% body surface area burn, multidrug-resistant polymicrobial sepsis, and multiorgan failure who developed Candida albicans pericarditis complicated by cardiac tamponade. Despite urgent pericardiocentesis and escalation of antifungal therapy, she ultimately progressed to refractory shock and multiorgan failure.

This case illustrates the diagnostic challenge and therapeutic limitations of fungal pericarditis in critically ill host, and underscores the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion in burn patients with multisite Candida colonization and prolonged antibiotic exposure.

Exploring Caregiving Choice In The Adult Cancer Population, Jennifer L. Huggins

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT Purpose Although extensive research examines family caregivers (FCs) across populations, less attention has been paid to how lack of choice in assuming the role affects quality of life (QOL) among FCs of adults with cancer. Understanding choice could guide interventions protecting this invaluable, often invisible workforce. Aims (1) Synthesize what is known about perceived choice among informal caregivers of adults with serious illness; (2) assess relationships between caregiving choice and caregiver QOL, burden, sleep, depression, stress, and social determinants of health; (3) describe experiences of FCs of adults with cancer providing care with no, little, or some choice. Design …

Neural-Immune-Cardiovascular Axis: From Mechanistic Crosstalk To Therapeutic Targets In Cardiovascular Disease, Junkang Cheng, Shuang Gao, Haowei Zhang, Wei Gao, Zeyuan Mei, Xiaoling Liu, Jocelyn Gao, Chenghu Guo, Guipeng An

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

The neural-immune-cardiovascular axis represents an emerging and highly integrated physiological and pathophysiological concept, describing a complex bidirectional communication network between the nervous, immune, and vascular systems. This review systematically examines the pivotal role of this axis in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis and in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. We first provide an overview of the fundamental signaling pathways between the components of this axis. Subsequently, we delve into the specific crosstalk mechanisms within the axis in the context of major cardiovascular conditions, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, and heart failure. A central focus is placed on critically evaluating the potential therapeutic targets and …

Proposal For A Comprehensive Workplace Violence Program In An Acute Care Facility, Christin V. Timmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace violence (WPV) in healthcare is a growing threat to caregiver safety, workforce stability, and patient outcomes. At a newly opened acute care facility, the absence of a comprehensive WPV prevention program posed a gap in practice, creating safety risks and regulatory vulnerability. A literature search was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed/ MEDLINE, ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health collection, and Google Scholar. A total of 50 articles were identified with 11 articles meeting all inclusion criteria. Collectively, findings supported comprehensive, multicomponent WPV prevention programs to integrate leadership engagement, structured governance, staff education, environmental controls, and continuous data monitoring to improve safety …

Barriers To Recommendation Of Integrative Oncology Modalities In Supportive Care: A Mascc/Sio Survey, Alexandre Chan, Dalia Kagramanov, Reem Nasr, Chioma Asuzu, Ting Bao, Yin Ting Cheung, Jung Hye Kwon, Judith Lacey, Richard T. Lee, Maryam Lustberg, Beatrice M. Ohaeri, Santosh Rao, Enrique Soto-Perez-De-Celis, Claudia M. Witt, Ana M. Lopez

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Integrative oncology (IO) modalities aim to improve the quality of life of persons with cancer, including strategies to manage treatment and disease-related symptoms. As evidence increases to include IO in supportive care, interest grows globally. Understanding barriers to IO recommendation is key to facilitating its uptake.

METHODS: Members of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) and the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) were invited to complete an online survey in Fall 2023 assessing barriers to IO recommendation on a 5-point scale. Descriptive statistics assessed demographic data and general counts of scaled agreement, while logistic regression analysis …

Cultural Traits May Replace Human Mobility Data In Forecasting Covid-19 Mortality: A Deep Learning Approach, Saif Abbas, Tamer Oraby, Michael G. Tyshenko, Samit Bhattacharyya

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for accurate epidemic forecasting to support public health decision-making. Most existing approaches depend heavily on human mobility data, while largely neglecting population behavior shaped by socio-cultural norms. In this study, we analyze daily COVID-19 mortality and Google mobility data from 72 countries during the first 130 d of the pandemic, a period characterized by high uncertainty and behavioral heterogeneity. In particular, we examine whether Hofstede’s country-level cultural dimensions can serve as latent behavioral forecasters of mortality in lieu of dynamic mobility indicators. Using 100 d for training and 30 d for forecasting, we employ …

Relationship Between Internet Use, Perceived Social Support, And Obesity Among African American Young Adults, Marketta Mccollough

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The disproportionately high prevalence of obesity among African American young adults is a significant public health crisis rooted in systemic inequities. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the relationships between internet use for health information, perceived social support (online and offline), and obesity in this population. Grounded in the social cognitive theory (SCT), this study investigated how these behavioral and environmental factors interact to influence body mass index. Using secondary data from the 2021–2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a complex samples logistic regression with a Bonferroni correction (α = .0125) was conducted on an …

Cervical Cancer Screening Coverage And Associated Factors Among Women Aged 25-59 In Eswatini: Insights From The 2021 Population-Based Hiv Impact Assessment (Phia), Abenezer Melaku Tafese, Bikiltu Dirbaba, Meseker Fentie, Charnita Zeigler-Johnson

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality among women in Eswatini, which reported the highest cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates globally in 2022. However, recent nationally representative published data on cervical cancer screening coverage in Eswatini remain limited. This study aimed to estimate cervical cancer screening coverage and identify factors associated with screening uptake among women aged 25-59 years in Eswatini.

METHOD: Data were drawn from the 2021 Eswatini Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA), a nationally representative cross-sectional household survey. Survey-weighted bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify …

Electroceuticals In Neuromodulation: Mechanisms, Clinical Applications, And Future Directions, Albashir Tahir, Nura Bello

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Electroceuticals have emerged as an innovative therapeutic approach that employs targeted electrical stimulation to modulate neural circuits and restore physiological balance. Unlike conventional pharmacological treatments, which act through systemic biochemical pathways, electroceuticals enable precise spatial and temporal control of neural activity. The rapid proliferation of electroceutical devices across clinical and investigational settings, combined with accelerating advances in artificial intelligence, closed-loop engineering, and bioelectronic interface design, has generated an urgent need for rigorous, critically appraised synthesis to guide evidence-based clinical adoption and inform future research priorities. This review addresses the rapidly expanding field of bioelectronic medicine by providing a critical synthesis …

Association Between Resource Availability And Wellbeing Of Autism Patients In Ghana, Kwabena Aduse-Poku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that presents significant challenges for children and families in Ghana, where resources remain limited. Grounded in the social ecological model, this quantitative cross-sectional study examined the associations between autism management programs and wellbeing, defined briefly as independent functioning in daily life and learning of autism patients enrolled in selected institutions in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. Data were collected from N=122 autism patients using structured questionnaires that were completed by caregivers and program staff. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess relationships between program type, regional location, and years of enrollment and …

Effective Strategies To Improve Telemedicine Services For Veterans In Baltimore, Maryland: A Qualitative Single-Case Study, Dolapo Uthman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative single-case study investigated the inefficiency and limited accessibility of telemedicine services within a selected healthcare organization located in Baltimore, Maryland. The purpose of this study was to investigate how telemedicine services can be improved to enhance healthcare outcomes for patients and their overall quality of life. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 16 participants, supported by fieldnotes, and publicly available documents, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Methodological triangulation was used to validate the findings to ensure credibility and consistency. The research indicated that telemedicine enhances access to healthcare and supports continuity of care, especially for …

Exploring The Motivations And Educational Needs For Undergraduate Nursing Students To Enter Into Critical Care: A Qualitative Study., Christina S. Pradhan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Critical care nursing is a specialty that demands a high level of skill and dedication. In this high-stress, fast-paced environment, nurses must think fast and act decisively with sound clinical judgment and knowledge. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study was to understand the motivating factors that cause nurses to enter the field of critical care, as well as to explore the ways in which undergraduate nursing studies may be improved to better prepare future critical care nurses. Knowles’ adult learning theory was well suited for nursing students bound for a critical care path. Students at two different baccalaureate …

Pedagogy Challenged: A Phenomenological Examination Of Teaching Through A Prolonged Technological Disruption, Jerry Cervantes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of nursing faculty in a pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing program who taught during a prolonged technological disruption caused by a ransomware attack at a private college in Ohio. The theories guiding this study were transformative learning theory and resilience theory as they relate to how educators make meaning of disorienting events and sustain professional functioning when established systems fail. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and reflective journals from purposively selected nursing faculty participants and were analyzed according to the phenomenological procedures …

Using Mask-Making To Foster Growth Mindset And Address Implicit Bias, Nazeh Saad, Rima Charara, Jennifer Mendez, Dena Nazer

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Implicit biases, defined as unconscious attitudes influencing clinical decisions, can negatively affect patient care and contribute to health care disparities. Growth mindset—the belief that abilities can be developed through effort—encourages learners to view biases as modifiable rather than fixed. The mask expression project is an educational activity designed to foster growth mindset in first-year medical students and promote patient-centered care.

Methods: Three hundred five (305) first-year medical students completed the project during a service-learning course. Students wrote or drew on a paper mask template divided into two halves: one side challenged identified implicit biases; the other depicted actions …

Wellness Literature Review – 2025, Martin Huecker, Brian A. Ferguson

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Clinician well-being remains a persistent challenge, with ongoing burnout and psychological distress despite efforts by systems and individuals. This Journal of Wellness annual review covers studies published in 2025.

Methods: The Editors searched PubMed and Google Scholar for prospective and interventional studies / clinical trials in humans, with focus on well-being. Authors utilized artificial intelligence (AI)–based large language model (LLM) (ChatGPT, OpenAI^TM) to assist with preliminary identification of relevant studies, however authors noted significant AI-associated errors and outright misrepresentations requiring hand curated product generation and manual PubMed searches.

Literature in Review: We continue to appreciate a shift …

A Connection A Day Keeps The Patient Away: How Remote Patient Monitoring Connected To The Internet Of Things Will Change Us Healthcare Into The Us Healthcare System, Ethan Sinn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The importance of this study was due to the market inefficiencies hindering US healthcare. The three market inefficiencies of excessive cost, access challenges, and low outcome yields have puzzled industry stakeholders for years. These inefficiencies continue gobbling up resources now accounting for around 20% of American GDP. The inefficiencies are symptomatic results of two surface level problems in the US healthcare market: financial misalignments and informational fragmentation. The financial mismatches and informational gaps have caused havoc to the natural market’s daily flow since making their way to the surface and remain firmly connected to the root cause of US healthcare’s …

Association Between Opioids And Leukemia/Lymphoma In Adults Living In The United States, Brenda Sue Newberry-Colasanti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Opioid prescribing rates and opioid misuse remain high throughout the United States. Exposure to opioids has been positively associated with various cancers; however, research evaluating associations between opioid exposure and hematologic cancers like leukemia and lymphoma is limited. Using the Socio- Ecological Model as a foundation, this quantitative cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the association between medicinal opioid use, opioid misuse, and leukemia/lymphoma while exploring how selected social determinants of health (SDOH) may modify that relationship. Secondary data were pooled from the 2015–20-year United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). One thousand three hundred and twenty binary …

The Effects Of Anti-Gdnf On The Sensory And Autonomic Nervous System In The Heart, Tryphosa Konadu

Honors Theses

Heart disease is the number one leading cause of death; about 1 in every five deaths is due to heart disease. “Heart disease” is a catch-all phrase that encompasses a variety of conditions that affect the heart’s structure and function. Many of these symptoms can be attributed to dysfunction within the parasympathetic, sympathetic, and sensory nervous systems. Neurotrophic factors like GDNF (Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor), BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor), and NGF (Nerve growth factor) promotes neuronal survival, and regeneration of the nerve fibers of the heart, especially sensory and autonomic nerve fibers. Studies have suggested that increased expression of …

Internalized Colorism As A Gendered Barrier To Skin Cancer Information Avoidance Among Hispanic College Students, Soo Yun Kim, Wan-Lin Chang

Communication Faculty Publications

Skin cancer disparities persist among racial and ethnic minority populations, yet sociocultural factors shaping engagement with preventive health information remain understudied. This study examines whether internalized colorism functions as a barrier to skin cancer information avoidance among Hispanic college students and whether these associations differ by sex. Using survey data from 300 undergraduates at a Hispanic-serving institution, hierarchical regression analyses examined how three dimensions of colorism, including self-concept, attractiveness, and upward mobility, were associated with skin cancer information avoidance. Results indicated that only the attractiveness dimension predicted information avoidance. This association was moderated by sex, such that attractiveness-based colorism was …

Using Polygenic Risk Scores To Evaluate Definitions Of Self-Reported Sleep Phenotypes Across Cohorts, Brian W Spitzer, Zhijie Huang, Heming Wang, Richa Saxena, Linda Gallo, Qibin Qi, Wassim Tarraf, Robert Kaplan, Melissa Lamar, Hector M González, Charles Decarli, Myriam Fornage, Jerome I Rotter, Stephen S Rich, Kent D Taylor, Xiuqing Guo, Alexis C Wood, Peter Y Liu, Susan R Heckbert, Chloé Sarnowski, Jan Bressler, Alanna C Morrison, Bing Yu, Pamela L Lutsey, Carmen R Isasi, Susan Redline, Tamar Sofer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Study objectives: Since genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of sleep phenotypes have been conducted in differing populations and definitions of sleep phenotypes vary across studies, we investigated associations between several polygenic risk scores (PRSs) and potential sleep definitions among multiethnic cohorts.

Methods: Using data from four cohorts (HCHS/SOL, ARIC, MESA, BHS, N = 16 895), we considered multiple definitions of short and long sleep, insomnia, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). PRSs were developed based on summary statistics from GWAS in European ancestry individuals from the UK Biobank (UKB) and from GWAS conducted in a multiethnic population from the Million Veteran Program …

Molecular Mechanism Leading To Human Coronary Atherosclerosis Assessed By Proteomic Analysis And Rna Sequences, Yizhi Wang, Joshua T Maxwell, Jacolby T Roddey, Kiarash Shakeriastani, Chiung-Ting Wu, Yingzhou Lu, Do-Kyun Kim, Justyna Fert-Bober, Dongping Du, Archana Bhat, Niveda Sundararaman, Matthew Ayres, Rakhi Pandey, Saurabh Bhardwaj, Genesio M Karere, Dana Troxclair, Fannie Jackson, Gordon L Love, James Hixson, Jennifer E Van Eyk, Yue Wang, David Herrington

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and aims: Atherosclerosis results from cellular and extracellular changes in the arterial wall, preceded by molecular shifts that initiate disease and drive tissue conversion, yet these changes are not yet fully described. More data are needed concerning these early changes in the coronary artery molecular landscape that signify the initiation of atherosclerosis and the subsequent tissue pheno-conversion to atherosclerotic plaque. This report summarizes results from a large biorepository of human coronary artery tissue, applying state-of-the-art omics technology, advanced data analytic methods, and an arterial organoid model system to predict molecular dynamics and identify potential regulatory mechanisms that could interrupt …