Each year, around 15,000 people in the U.S. die from ruptured aneurysms in the aorta, with many of the deaths caused when the aortic aneurysm suddenly bursts in the abdomen. The survival rate for a ruptured aorta in the abdomen is less than half. With magnetic resonance imaging, researchers at U.Va.’s Health System can now identify the fibrous cap in abdominal aortic aneurysms, a key characteristic of plaque in smaller blood vessels that are more prone to rupture and cause stroke and heart attack. Full story.

Edward L. Ayers, dean of U.Va.’s College of Arts & Sciences, presented 45 students with Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards during a ceremony held last week. The awards, funded by the family of David A. Harrison III, support students’ detailed plans for independent-study research projects that have been endorsed by a faculty mentor. “The Harrison Awards are the flagship grants that enable undergraduates to incorporate research in their curricula,” said Nicole F. Hurd, assistant dean of U.Va.’s Center for Undergraduate Excellence. Full story.

U.Va. News Services