AIMCardio Lab at WPI Secures $516,556 NIH Trailblazer R21 Grant to Advance Fetal Heart Disease Diagnosis

AIMCardio Lab at WPI Secures $516,556 NIH Trailblazer R21 Grant to Advance Fetal Heart Disease Diagnosis

The Artificial Intelligence and Modeling Laboratory for Cardiovascular Diseases (AIMCardio Lab) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), directed by Dr. Zhenglun Alan Wei, has received a $516,556 Trailblazer R21 grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). This award will support pioneering research aimed at improving the prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD).

CHD is the most common birth defect globally and a major contributor to infant mortality. Current prenatal imaging methods often fall short of providing a definitive early diagnosis. A particularly challenging form of CHD—coarctation of the aorta (CoA), characterized by a narrowing of the aorta—can lead to life-threatening complications if not accurately identified before birth.

To address this urgent clinical gap, Dr. Wei and his team will develop the first personalized computational model of fetal circulation. This non-invasive model uses blood-flow analysis and simulation to differentiate between healthy and potentially CoA-affected fetal aortas. Validated through advanced fetal MRI data, the approach will focus on wall shear stress, an important indicator of vascular remodeling, in hopes of enabling earlier and more accurate diagnoses.

“By developing a novel, non-invasive computational paradigm, we hope to give clinicians a powerful tool for prenatal CHD screening and ultimately improve outcomes for newborns,” said Dr. Wei.

This project promises new insights into fetal aortic hemodynamics and more effective diagnostic methods in prenatal care. In the long term, these innovations could form the basis for broader translational studies, paving the way for improved diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment strategies for children with CHD.