In Third ‘Inside Innovation’ Talk, Experts Update Research into Strokes

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The next presentation in UC San Diego’s “Inside Innovation” series features professors Andrew Kahn and Juan C. del Alamo discussing their latest research into quantifying a person’s risk for stroke through analyzing blood flow through the heart.

The free and public presentation will be held 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 29, in Roth Auditorium at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive. Dentons US LLC is the corporate sponsor of the event. A networking reception will follow.

Leveraging readily available diagnostic-imaging systems, the research team has developed post-processing software tools which can better inform a clinician’s course of treatment, including whether and when costly (and risky) anti-coagulant therapies should be prescribed. Adoption of this new technology should provide clinicians with greater insights into an individual’s future risk for stroke and how lifestyle or pharmacological interventions should be applied.

The research duo were one of four teams that received funding through the Galvanizing Engineering in Medicine (GEM) program in 2015. GEM projects identify clinical challenges for which engineering solutions can be developed and implemented to improve health care. These competitive awards are intended to leverage UC San Diego's strengths in clinical care and engineering.

The presentation highlights the interdisciplinary nature of modern university research. Del Alamo is an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, focusing on fluid-flow dynamics; Kahn is an assistant clinical professor of medicine, working in cardiology; and together they have realized a novel tool to combat a major worldwide health risk.

“Inside Innovation,” a series of free, public presentations, features the latest innovation technologies by UC San Diego, with opportunities for participants to get an inside look at what’s happening in university labs, explore commercialization opportunities, and inquire about licensing.

Sponsored by the Office of Research Affairs and the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, all “Inside Innovation” presentations are held 4-6 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at Roth Auditorium in the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, and are followed by networking receptions.

“The new series is a great opportunity for the campus and community to learn about the creative and problem-solving innovations now being developed at UC San Diego,” said Paul Roben, associate vice chancellor for innovation and commercialization. “Each presentation highlights the imagination, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit driving much of our research.”