** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ATHEROSCLEROSIS IS A MAJOR CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD. MAMAKI, A SPECIES OF NETTLE ENDEMIC TO HAWAII, HAS BEEN USED BY NATIVES FOR CENTURIES FOR VARIOUS HEALTH BENEFITS. HOWEVER, ITS BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS AND THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION REMAIN LARGELY UNEXPLORED. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT THE BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS IN MAMAKI INHIBIT MONOCYTE ADHESION TO HUMAN AORTIC ENDOTHELIAL CELLS (HAECS) BY REGULATING CHEMOKINE AND ADHESION MOLECULE EXPRESSION, AN IMPORTANT STEP IN THE INITIATION AND PROGRESSION OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY IS TO IDENTIFY THE BIOACTIVE CONSTITUENTS OF MAMAKI LEAVES AND ELUCIDATE THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION. THE RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT COULD PROVIDE A BASIS FOR FUTURE CLINICAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFICACY OF MAMAKI TEA OR ITS BIOACTIVE CONSTITUENTS IN PROTECTING AGAINST THE DEVELOPMENT OF VASCULAR DISEASES.