Cardiovascular Nanomedicine Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States: One out of every four Americans has cardiovascular disease, and every 30 seconds one person dies from this disease. Although significant advances have been made in the management and treatment of this disease, there is still a lack of understanding of the fundamental biology and pathophysiology of atherosclerosis, especially the molecular mechanisms responsible for plaque formation. As a result, early detection of atherosclerotic plaque is difficult, leading to a high rate of morbidity and mortality. We have established a Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology (NIH/NHLBI PEN) by integrating the bioengineering expertise of Georgia Tech and the cardiology strengths of Emory University School of Medicine. We have been developing the molecule beacon based technology (A) for mRNA expression and localization in living cells in response to shear stress; and the magnetic nanoparticle probes (B) for in vivo plaque detection. The broad and long-term goal of these projects is to develop nanotechnology and biomolecular engineering tools and methodologies for the detection and molecular analysis of atherosclerotic plaque formation, which has a compelling medical need.