Photo: Christine Kondra and Eileen Smith visit UCLA to meet Dr. Aichi Chien’s research team.
We are excited to announce preliminary results from The Bee Foundation’s 2015 Research Grant awarded to Dr. Aichi Chien, Associate Professor in the Division of Interventional Neuroradiology at UCLA. Dr. Chien has extensive experience with aneurysm clinical research and aneurysm image quantitative analysis, which was the perfect background to qualify her for further research using the TBF grant. Dr. Chien and her research team have had promising results so far, including their preliminary research report being accepted as a poster presentation at the 2016 International Stroke Conference (ISC).
The purpose of the research study is to examine prior studies of people who found out they had brain aneurysms before they ruptured. Researchers aim to find what factors are related to aneurysm growth and rupture in order to better predict the risk of a rupture.
Many different indices have been examined, such as those that can measure aneurysm shape and size and those that find specific properties of how blood flows through aneurysms to better determine how likely it is that an aneurysm will rupture. By comparing growing aneurysms against stable ones of similar size, the researchers will be able to find parameters that will be useful as predictive factors of rupture risk. Understanding this key information allows us to improve outcomes for those who have identified an unruptured aneurysm.
The Bee Foundation representatives Christine Kondra and Eileen Smith conducted an onsite at Dr. Chien’s lab in UCLA to meet the full research team and learn more about the progress of the study. Eileen commented, “It was really inspiring to hear from Dr. Chien and her team, and to see the dedication that they have in furthering the understanding of brain aneurysms in the medical community. I was blown away by the sheer brainpower in the room, and by the work ethic and passion that her team so clearly has for their research. The fact that they are making progress that is being recognized by the broader scientific community – evidenced by their acceptance to present at the ISC – is amazing and an indicator of the type of impact we can have in this disease area. Knowing that The Bee Foundation is helping this caliber of team to continue, and to pave the way for really valued research was priceless.”
The preliminary analysis was accepted into the 2016 ISC, where ideas were exchanged with experts from around the world and more collaborations were initiated to further the aims of the study.
If you have a background in brain aneurysm research or an ongoing study that required further funding, please apply now for the 2016 Bee Foundation Research Grant. Applications are due April 21st, so apply today and support The Bee Foundation in their fight against brain aneurysms!
