Dean Karahalios, DO, assistant professor, and Dana Irrer, MD, assistant professor, both in the Division of Cardiology, were recently awarded an $11,000 subaward from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. This subaward to the R01 grant “Predictive Modeling of Acute Rejection in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients (PEACE)” aims to develop and validate non-invasive methods for detecting acute rejection (AR) and determining the need for endomyocardial biopsy following pediatric heart transplant. Despite advances in immunosuppression management, acute clinical rejection remains a leading cause of death in pediatric heart transplant recipients. Cardiac catheterization with endomyocardial biopsy, performed based on a clinical suspicion of AR or as routine surveillance, remains the current standard-of-care for diagnosing AR. While biopsy provides useful data about the region sampled, it is invasive and associated with risks of complications from anesthesia or sedation, radiation, and structural damage. This project will address a critical need to find low-risk, alternative, or complementary methods for detecting AR. Karahalios and Irrer began their collaboration with Vanderbilt in July 2026 and will continue for one year.