Hussain Fatakdawala, a graduate student in the Marcu Lab, has received a renewal of a NIH Training Program in Molecular Imaging 5T32EB003827 for molecular imaging 2012-2014. His project involves evaluating the diagnostic potential of a rotational catheter-based system combining multispectral fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for detecting rupture prone atherosclerotic plaques. The bimodal catheter allows for label-free simultaneous assessment of plaque composition and microstructure. Imaging results from ex-vivo human coronary samples were compared to pathological features identified in histopathology. It is hypothesized that FLIM has the potential to complement conventional IVUS images by providing biochemical information on lipid-rich regions and inflammatory activity in the diseased vessel wall without the use of contrast agents.