The risk of heart attack or stroke is higher in individuals who suffer from deep vein thrombosis, a type of blood clot in the leg veins, which can lead to a life-threatening clot in the lungs. American Heart Association (AHA) funding helped launch the careers of internationally recognized researchers Paula Tracy, Ph.D., UVM professor and interim chair of biochemistry, and Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., UVM professor of medicine, whose work helps determine how the blood clotting system contributes to cardiovascular disease. Beth Bouchard, Ph.D., UVM assistant professor of biochemistry and a current AHA Scientist Development Grant recipient, represents the next generation of biomedical scientists in this field. She and Tracy examine blood-clotting factors in the laboratory, while Cushman, who also serves as director of the Thrombosis and Hemostasis Program at Fletcher Allen Health Care, conducts clinical research in patient populations.

"We symbolize how the spectrum of science works to figure out the underlying causes of heart disease," says Cushman, whose discoveries, along with those of Tracy and Bouchard, have improved the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular events.