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Epidemiology Ultrasound Research Laboratory (URL)
Scientific Director: Kim Sutton-Tyrrell, Dr.P.H.
Administrator Director: Trina L. Thompson, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., B.S.N., R.V.T.
Mission: Our mission is to improve public health by providing quality ultrasound studies to advance cardiovascular research.
The Epidemiology Ultrasound Research Laboratory (URL) is a shared resource that provides non-invasive vascular testing of research quality for ongoing studies in the Department of Epidemiology. The URL works collaboratively with the Epidemiology Health Clinic to provide coordinated data collection for participants volunteering in health studies. The URL is also part of the support structure for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Cardiovascular Institute of Preventative Heart Care Center, at the UPMC University Center in Oakland.
The lab provides support and oversight for multicenter studies that focus on subclinical atherosclerotic measures on children and adults of all ages. These include but are not limited to studies targeting women’s health, the aging process, and diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, polycystic ovary disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, insulin resistance, and pediatric dyslipidemia. Rigorous and continuous quality improvement processes are an integral part of the lab’s efforts.
In 2003, a total of 3,242 vascular tests were performed on 1,140 participants. Testing includes carotid ultrasound for Intima-Media Thickness, (IMT), echocardiograms, measures of vascular stiffness, measures of endothelial function, and ankle-arm blood pressures. The lab has four Toshiba and one Acuson high resolution scanners to perform ultrasound studies and nearly a dozen computerized work stations for digitizing and/or measuring subclinical images. Data generated from these exams are processed and analyzed at the Epidemiology Data Center.
The lab participates in a variety of educational and public health projects. National and international companies partner with the lab to provide beta testing for new software and vascular testing equipment. The lab provides education and certification to researchers around the globe who perform carotid ultrasound research protocols, vascular stiffness testing, endothelial function and ankle-arm indices. Local facilities also obtain staff training from the lab to perform subclinical measures for community health-screening efforts. Ongoing health education is offered to local elementary school children and to the general public.
The lab provides continuing educational seminars to professionals interested in subclinical cardiovascular disease research.
The laboratory is located at 130 North Bellefield Avenue, Suite 320, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (15260).
Refer to Publications 24.1 - 24.48 in Appendix B, and visit our Web site: www.url.pitt.edu.
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