Nicole Guerrera, RT(R), RDCS, received the annual Brian Haluska Sonographer Research Award from the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) Foundation for her ASE abstract presentation, entitled, “Early Assessment of Global Circumferential Strain from Three-Dimensional Echocardiography Predicts Late Left Ventricle Remodeling in a Chronic Porcine Model of Reperfused Myocardial Infarction.” Guerrera is a research sonographer at the Yale Translational Research Imaging Center (Y-TRIC), led by cardiologist Albert J. Sinusas, MD, professor of medicine and radiology and biomedical imaging, and biomedical engineering. Guerrera has been an integral part of the research team in Y-TRIC for over 12 years, and is responsible for the optimization, application, and analysis of all echocardiographic imaging at the center for a wide range of advanced imaging projects.
A heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI) carries a high risk of mortality from ventricular remodeling and heart failure. Prior studies have suggested that determining the myocardial strain from 2D echocardiography can predict major adverse cardiovascular events after a heart attack. Guerrera’s project used 3D speckle tracking echocardiography at rest and low dose dobutamine stress three days post MI to define the peri-infarct region and predicted left ventricular remodeling assessed by serial contrast cardiac computed tomography.
Her efforts will serve as initial results towards the development of a new echocardiographic imaging approach for assessment of regional and global circumferential myocardial strain that can define the area of permanent injury and thereby predict late left ventricular remodeling. This project is part of an ongoing multi-institutional National Institutes of Health funded project directed by Sinusas and James Duncan, PhD, the Ebenezer K. Hunt Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, titled, “q4DE: A Biomarker for Image-Guided, Post-MI Hydrogel Therapy”, which is focused on developing and validating an integrated image analysis approach that will accurately, robustly, and reproducibly quantify regional LV strain from 3D rest and stress echocardiographic images for image guided delivery of theranostic hydrogels post MI to reduce post-MI remodeling. Guerrera has played a critical role in the advancement of this effort.
The ASE’s Brian Haluska Sonographer Research Award honors the late Brian Haluska, PhD, MSC. Previous recipients from Yale-New Haven Hospital include Jason B. Pereira, RCS, for his 2018 project, “Feasibility of Contrast Echocardiography to Assess Right Ventricular Size and Function.”