Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially fatal blood clot in the lungs and one of the leading causes of cardiovascular death. Even after recovery, people who have experienced a PE face a higher risk of ischemic stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked, particularly as they age. However, the reasons why this risk persists remain unclear. Inflammaging, a slow and persistent inflammation that develops with age and damages blood vessels, and clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), a condition in which blood stem cells acquire mutations that increase inflammation, may help explain this connection. CHIP affects about one in ten adults over the age of 60 and has been linked to both heart disease and blood clots. Yet most studies on CHIP and inflammation have focused on people of European ancestry, leaving major gaps in understanding how these processes influence risk in racially and ethnically diverse populations who already face a higher burden of cardiovascular disease. This project will integrate data from large international cohorts to examine how CHIP and inflammaging contribute to long-term risk of ischemic stroke among people from diverse backgrounds who have survived a PE. We will analyze genetic and blood-based markers together with information on health, lifestyle, and social factors to better understand how aging, inflammation, and social disadvantage interact to influence stroke risk. By understanding these connections, this research aims to identify CHIP as a biological marker that can help predict who remains most at risk and guide the development of personalized and equitable prevention strategies that support healthy aging.