Back Row (left to right): Jiaqing Pang, Joe Aslan, Cristina Puy, Owen McCarty
Front Row (left to right): Flor Cianchetti, Norah Verbout, Kristina Haley, Sandra Baker

Owen McCarty, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical engineering and cell and developmental biology, received an American Heart Association Established Investigator Award.

The five-year, $400,000 grant supports mid-career investigators who demonstrate "unusual promise and an established record of accomplishments; candidates have a demonstrated commitment to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular science as indicated by prior publication history and scientific accomplishments."

Dr. McCarty received his Ph.D. in chemical and biomolecular engineering from Johns Hopkins University with dissertation work focused on the role of platelets in cancer metastasis and thrombosis. As a Welcome Trust Postdoctoral Fellow, he continued his research in the area of thrombosis, examining the signaling pathways governing platelet cytoskeletal reorganization, at the Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University, UK. He joined the OHSU faculty in 2005.

At OHSU, Dr. McCarty's research is focused on understanding the interplay between cell biology and fluid mechanics in the cardiovascular system. In particular, his research into the balance between hydrodynamic shear forces and cellular interactions has great relevance to the underlying processes of cardiovascular disease, cancer metastasis and inflammation.

"The vascular system represents an exquisite feat of bioengineering," said Dr. McCarty. "Blood flow and mass transfer are intimately integrated with vascular cell responses. My research approach relies on engineering principles to develop novel tools and therapeutic agents to detect, prevent and safely treat thrombotic complications such as heart attack and stroke."

Dr. McCarty was one of 15 researchers nationally to receive the American Heart Association Established Investigator Award in 2012.