Peripheral Vascular Device Core

The Peripheral Vascular Device Core specializes in the rigorous evaluation and advancement of endovascular technologies by bridging clinical insight with engineering precision. The core provides cutting-edge testing platforms tailored specifically for both peripheral artery and venous diseases, using well-published human amputated limb and cadaveric limb models to simulate clinical scenarios. As a vital hub for industry and academic collaborators, the facility customizes every experiment to the specific device and company's unique needs, accommodating various stages of research and development. The core’s translational research ensures that next-generation vascular interventions are optimized for deliverability, anatomically validated, and highly effective for patients.

Core Clinical Research Fellow:

Alexander B. Crichton
abcrichton@houstonmethodist.org

• Amputated limb studies
• Cadaveric limb studies
• Ex vivo human arterial/venous tissue studies
• Ultrashort Echo Time MRI for plaque identification and differentiation in limb
• Ultra high resolution 9.4T ex vivo MRI
• Micro CT
• Intravascular imaging
• Cone beam CT
• Digital subtraction angiography
• Arterial extravascular ultrasound
• Expert histopathological analysis

Expertise

Trisha Roy, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS

Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center Associate Professor, Weill Cornell Medical College

Dr. Roy is an internationally recognized vascular surgeon-scientist specializing in limb preservation, advanced cardiovascular imaging and medical device innovation. Seamlessly blending backgrounds in materials engineering, imaging science and clinical practice, she is a pioneer in the translational research of peripheral arterial and venous diseases.

Academic and Clinical Appointments

Dr. Roy serves as an associate professor of cardiovascular surgery at the Houston Methodist Academic Institute and Weill Cornell Medicine. At the Houston Methodist Research Institute, she is the director of the Peripheral Vascular Device Core.

Research and Device Innovation

Dr. Roy’s research bridges the gap between advanced engineering and clinical intervention. Her foundational work focuses on developing novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques to better understand the tissue morphology of complex vascular occlusions.

• Translational Models: She pioneers the use of well-published human cadaveric and amputated lower limb models to study device-tissue interactions under exact anatomical conditions.
• The Device Core: Under her direction, the Houston Methodist Peripheral Vascular Device Core stands as a unique global hub that collaborates with industry and academia to validate and tailor endovascular technology testing across all stages of development.
  
  

Education and Training

Dr. Roy completed her extensive academic training at the University of Toronto, earning a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in materials and biomedical engineering, followed by her Medical Degree (MD). She went on to complete her vascular surgery residency alongside a PhD in medical biophysics and imaging science. She is double board-certified in vascular surgery, holding fellowships with both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC) and the American Board of Surgery.

Awards and Funding

Dr. Roy’s work is heavily supported by major grant funding, including prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grants and an American Heart Association (AHA) Transformational Project Award. She has received top honors from the European Society for Vascular Surgery and the Society for Magnetic Resonance Angiography, and she serves on the editorial boards of leading journals.

"I am devoted to saving the limbs and lives of patients with vascular disease. As a surgeon-scientist, I am committed to developing and using the most advanced imaging techniques to deliver care that is precisely tailored to the needs of each individual patient." Dr. Trisha Roy