Atherosclerosis is the build-up of plaque in vessels and is the single leading cause of death worldwide. The early diagnosis of atherosclerosis in heart vessels remains a challenge and requires tests that are expensive and invasive. Metabolomics, the study of small molecules using advanced technologies, has the potential to identify patterns of small molecules that can correlate to the various stages of atherosclerosis and aid in prevention and prompt treatment of early disease. Dr Umar Ali is researching methods to diagnose and prevent atherosclerosis from a simple blood or urine test using advanced state of the art metabolomic technologies at the Australian National Phenome Centre. The aim is to decrease atherosclerosis in our communities by detecting it early using simpler tests which can allow earlier treatment and ultimately decrease the number of deaths due to heart disease.
Last updated05 April 2022