Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Clots or blockages in the microvasculature are a frequent cause of heart attacks. Blood flow through the microvasculature of a heart has not been studied in detail because technologies that can image with sufficiently high resolution to visualize capillaries and single cells in the intact, beating heart are not available. Our approach to this problem is to use two-photon excited fluorescence (2PEF), microscopy which enables in vivo imaging with sufficient spatial resolution in living tissue. I am working with Nozomi to develop surgical techniques as well as imaging and data analysis strategies that will enable the use of 2PEF microscopy to image blood flow in capillaries of a beating heart. Our approach in an open chest preparation is to glue a portion of the exposed heart to a piece of glass that is held stationary under the microscope. The rest of the heart can then freely beat underneath this stabilized section to maintain blood flow, while we image the vasculature and analyze the images. I am an undergraduate student majoring in Biological Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. I joined the Schaffer Lab in September 2010 and plan to graduate in May 2012.
