Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded University of Colorado-Denver a Project Grant of $624,789 on June 5, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) to develop improved prenatal diagnostic capabilities for coarctation of the aorta (COA), a severe congenital heart defect affecting approximately 4 per 10,000 live births. The project, extending through February 28, 2031, will focus on advancing fetal cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging technology combined with MRI-compatible Doppler ultrasound gating to enhance the accuracy of prenatal COA diagnosis. Current prenatal diagnostic methods using fetal echocardiography suffer from a 50% false positive rate, resulting in unnecessary intensive perinatal interventions and significant costs averaging $84,725 per misdiagnosis. The fetal CMR approach aims to overcome these limitations through superior visualization of the aortic arch and quantification of fetal vessel flow volumes, with particular emphasis on resolving technical challenges related to fetal motion artifacts that currently limit reliable cardiac synchronization in up to 30% of cases.

This research directly addresses a critical gap in congenital heart disease management, as COA represents the second most costly form of congenital heart disease nationally with annual pediatric costs exceeding $300 million. By improving prenatal diagnostic accuracy, the project will reduce unnecessary maternal-fetal care interventions, decrease associated emotional and socioeconomic burdens on families, and enable more targeted perinatal planning for infants with confirmed diagnoses. The research will be conducted in Aurora, Colorado.