Dr Gianotti is working on The NARNIA study, using new scan technology to identify early risk factors for a heart attack and cardiovascular disease.
The Ultra-High Sensitivity Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan is being commissioned this year and they Sydney-based team of researchers, including Dr Gianotti is planning to use it to improve early identification, diagnosis and treatment of high-risk cardiovascular patients. It will allow functional whole-body imaging while exposing the patient to significantly less radiation and a shorter scan time.
The study aims to use the Ultra-High Sensitivity PET scan to look at the growing evidence suggesting inflammation and selected biological functional characteristics found within atherosclerotic plaque are of key importance in predisposing a person to heart attack and stroke. This will move assessment from a purely structural approach to a combination of non-invasive assessments to provide better diagnostic insights and identify patients at a higher risk of cardiac disease.