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U.VA. Researcher Wins Young Investigator Award

A U.Va. researcher won first prize in the prestigious Young Investigator Award Competition at the American Society of Echocardiography's 10th Annual Scientific Session, held June 13 – 16 in Washington, D.C. Matthew Coggins, a research fellow in U.Va.'s Cardiac Imaging Center (CIC), won the award for his work in understanding how microscopic bubbles play a role in imaging areas of inflammation in the heart.

Dr. Robert Pelberg, also a research fellow for the CIC, was chosen as one of four finalists in the competition, which included more than 500 researchers. Pelberg's research examined why hearts become weak before bypass surgery.

Research in the CIC, which is part of U.Va.'s Cardiovascular Division, focuses on contrast echocardiography, an imaging technique in which microscopic bubbles are administered during ultrasound to detect heart abnormalities and assess blood flow within the heart. The CIC, headed by Dr. Sanjiv Kaul, professor of medicine and biomedical engineering, has produced two winners and three finalists in previous Young Investigator Award Competitions.

For more information, call Dr. Sanjiv Kaul at (804) 924-5928.

June 23, 1999