Jessica Cao is a co-PI on the Opportunity to Reach Individuals with Genetic Dyslipidemia as Infants and Newborns in Wisconsin (ORIGIN-WI) project.

Familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited form of high cholesterol that can cause early heart attacks and strokes, yet only about two percent of affected children in the United States know they have the condition. This project will compare three approaches for identifying familial hypercholesterolemia earlier in childhood, using community input, mathematical modeling and machine learning to determine how screening can be most effectively implemented. Earlier diagnosis could connect children and their family members to effective treatment, helping prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Jason Fletcher is a co-PI on the Opportunity to Reach Individuals with Genetic Dyslipidemia as Infants and Newborns in Wisconsin (ORIGIN-WI) project.

High blood pressure affects about one in three Wisconsin adults, yet finding an effective medication can involve a lengthy trial-and-error process that may lead to side effects and poor blood pressure control. This project will combine medical records, genetic information and blood pressure data to develop more personalized approaches that help patients receive the right treatment sooner. The work could improve blood pressure control, prevent heart and kidney disease and reduce health disparities.

Mary Ryan Bauman is a collaborator on the Implementation of Opportunistic Cardiovascular Risk Prediction Using Explainable AI-driven Abdominal CT Biomarkers project.

CT scans performed for routine medical care can contain valuable information about a patient’s risk for heart attack or stroke, but this information often goes unused. This project will integrate a computer-based tool that automatically identifies cardiovascular risk from existing scans, into routine care and study whether alerting physicians leads to more patients receiving preventive treatment. The approach could transform patient scans into a powerful tool for preventing heart disease and expanding preventive care.

Read more about the WPP Awards here.