Director

J. Jeffrey Carr, MD, MS

Research Interests

Improving our understanding of the development and promotion of atherosclerosis from subclinical to clinical disease by applying imaging technologies to population-based epidemiological and genetic studies in humans and animals.

Research in Progress

We are completing the first multi-center genome-scan for calcified coronary and aortic plaque as part of NHLBI’s Family Heart Study, a second genome-wide scan for calcified plaque in the coronary, carotid and aortic arteries as part of the Diabetes Heart Studies is currently being analyzed and we are finalizing the genetic analysis for our project on the genetic architecture underlying the relation between bone mineral Density and calcified plaque.

As principal investigator of the Women’s Health Initiative CT Reading Center we are nearing completion of the 1000 CT exams from 30 sites across the U.S. from a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial that will help us determine the role of hormone replacement therapyon subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

In addition, we have completed 600 out of 3,000 of the year 20 cardiac CT exams for NHLBI’s CARDIA study which will allow us to better understand what factors related to early adulthood promote coronary artery disease.

In collaboration with Dr. L. Rudel, we are completing 2 clinical trials in non-human primates looking at the efficacy of 2experimental agents on the regression ofatherosclerosis using intravascular ultrasound and sub millimeter cardiac CT.