Colloquium

Atherosclerosis is a complex disease of the arterial system whose genesis and progression involve an interplay of genetic, metabolic, inflammatory and mechanical processes. In this talk, I survey recent results of modeling and analysis of metabolic and inflammatory processes that play a key role in atherogenesis, and then how mechanics must be accounted for to understand plaque growth and disease remission. Additionally, I describe preliminary modeling and analysis of the use of intravascular ultrasound technologies for detecting and classifying vulnerable plaques. A key issue addressed is gaining a deeper understanding of the mechanical significance of arterial wall residual stress and developing an effective modeling framework for taking account of residual stress in the use of intravascular ultrasound interrogation of plaques.