Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases remain leading causes of global morbidity and mortality, driven by complex interactions among genetic, metabolic, inflammatory, environmental, and behavioral factors. Traditional models based on single risk factors are insufficient to fully capture the heterogeneity and progression of these conditions. The UK Biobank offers a unique resource to dissect these complexities through its extensive, multi-dimensional dataset.
This project aims to comprehensively characterize cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health by integrating imaging, molecular biomarkers, genetic data, lifestyle factors, and clinical outcomes. It seeks to identify early and subtle indicators of vascular dysfunction, capture population-level variability, and investigate how heart and brain vascular health relates to broader systemic disease.
Emphasizing a systems-level perspective, the research will explore shared and distinct biological pathways underlying cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and their interplay with other organ systems. The project will also analyze heterogeneous trajectories of health and disease to enhance risk stratification and enable more personalized prevention and intervention strategies.
Ultimately, this work will advance understanding of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health and their systemic determinants, laying a foundation for precision population health approaches to reduce the burden of vascular and systemic diseases.