JAHA: Tell us
about the key findings from your recent article in JAHA.
Dr. Lee: We found that that the spatial distributions of
calcifications along the aorta from different strains of apoe mice using a
novel carbon nanotube x-ray based micro-computed tomography CT system.
JAHA: What are
the major implications of this work?
Dr. Lee: Our carbon nanotube based x-ray source allows improved
cardiac gating as compared to conventional x-ray sources; this device offers
new ways to assist researchers in evaluating cardiac pathology in difficult to
image mouse models.
JAHA: How did you
get the idea to do this study?
Dr. Lee: The idea was a natural synergy between two novel
technologies from UNC Chapel Hill – the invention of the carbon nanotube x-ray
source (Otto Zhou) and the apoe mouse (Nobuyo Maeda). As a translational
imaging scientist, I sought to bring the two teams together for the project.
JAHA: What was
your biggest obstacle in completing this study?
Dr. Lee: Comparing data from histological samples and 3-D CT data remains
a challenge.
JAHA: What was
your most unexpected finding?
Dr. Lee: The blur induced by motion was more significant than we
anticipated in the mouse.
JAHA: What do you
plan to do next, based on these current findings?
Dr. Lee: We are developing other clinical and pre-clinical
applications of our carbon nanotube x-ray source in cardiac imaging.
JAHA: What do you
like to do in your free time?
Dr. Lee: I enjoying spending my free time traveling with my family
and dragon boat racing when the opportunity arises.
Profile originally published April 9, 2013
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