Guichun Han, Ph.D. has received $154,000 to conduct research on the effects of estrogen on the risk of heart disease and stroke.
University of Pikeville professor of physiology Guichun Han, Ph.D. has received an American Heart Association Institutional Research Enhancement Award in the amount of $154,000 to conduct research that is expected to have a transformative effect on women’s healthcare. Han will study the effects of estrogen on heart disease and stroke risks. Han is the first recipient of an American Heart Association grant within Eastern Kentucky.
According to an article on the University of Pikeville’s website, Andrea Ooten, who serves as the Executive Director of the American Heart Association in Central and Eastern Kentucky, was quoted as saying of the importance of the work Han will do with this grant award, “We are incredibly proud to support the groundbreaking research Dr. Han is conducting through this grant. Her work has the potential to shed new light on how estrogen impacts heart disease and stroke – a critical area of study for women’s health that could transform approaches to treatment. This grant represents an investment in research and the health and future of women in Eastern Kentucky and beyond.”
Han will, with the help of her students, conduct research into the effects of estrogen on heart health risks, particularly looking at how the effects vary in women of different ages, as a way to find new treatment options for these diseases for women at high risk. This type of research has the potential to make an impact on the region, the country, and the world, as heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the country, with stroke coming in at number two, according to the American Heart Association’s website.
Han said, “It is a huge opportunity for our team to be involved in the great mission of the American Heart Association to be part of the relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Our team will be contributing to lowering the vascular death rate in Eastern Kentucky, in the nation, and across the world!”
Han’s research is expected to last through 2025.
For more information about the University of Pikeville, visit the school’s website.