Abstract: Cardiovascular calcification is a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality, yet no therapies exist to slow or reverse it, and current imaging often detects disease only after substantial mineral has formed. This talk will describe how mechanical and molecular signals drive the vascular and valvular remodeling that culminates in calcification. Our work focuses on the mechanisms of calcifying extracellular vesicle biogenesis and on the role of post-translational protein modifications, showing how these molecular events intersect with the mechanical environment of the vessel wall and aortic valve. Building on this mechanistic foundation, we present low-cost strategies to detect cardiovascular disease earlier, including phonocardiogram-based assessment of aortic valve disease and near-infrared assessment of peripheral blood perfusion in peripheral artery disease. Together, this work aims to connect the fundamental biology of calcification to accessible strategies that could change how disease is diagnosed and treated. 

Bio: Dr. Joshua Hutcheson is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Florida International University. He received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and completed postdoctoral training at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School before joining FIU, where he directs the Cardiovascular Matrix Remodeling Laboratory. He also serves as Founding Director of the FIU–Florida Heart Research Foundation Center for Innovation in Cardiovascular Health, an interdisciplinary center supported by approximately $15 million in funding from the Florida Heart Research Foundation that brings together engineers, basic scientists, and clinical collaborators to accelerate cardiovascular research and translate discoveries toward improved patient care. Dr. Hutcheson is a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and he received the 2018 Stop Heart Disease Researcher of the Year Award at the Florida Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. His work has been supported by the NIH, NSF, and the American Heart Association.