Faculty Directory

	Edward F. Plow, Ph.D. Chairman Studies how cell surface receptors and intraceulluar molecules regulate platelet responses that are relevant to thrombosis and hemostasis. Analyzes how leukocytes and platelets interact and how these interactions contribute to pathogenic inflammatory responses Analyzes how proteases contribute to inflammatory responses associated with cardiovascular disease. Studies how genetic variations in specific proteins contribute to cardiovascular pathologies.
	Kathleen L. Berkner, Ph.D. Staff Performs structure-function analyses of the gamma-glutamyl carboxylase to define the mechanism of vitamin K-dependent protein carboxylation. Determines how the vitamin K oxidoreductase becomes activated and why mutations in this protein confer resistance to warfarin.
	Tatiana Byzova, Ph.D. Staff Analyzes how angiogenesis is regulated at a molecular and cellular basis. Determines the basis of homing of bone marrow derived cells to sites of injury and neoangiogenesis. Determines how platelets contribute to angiogenesis.
	Yuanna Cheng, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Staff Ventricular arrhythmogenesis and cardiac remodeling following infarct exclusion Cardiac defibrillation and electroporation
	Maria Febbraio, Ph.D. Associate Staff The Role of Inflammation in CD36 mediated Atherosclerosis The Role of CD36 in the Obesity, Insulin Resistance and the Metabolic Syndrome The Role of CD36 in Fatty Acid Metabolism
	Joan E.B. Fox, Ph.D. Staff Studies the dynamic rearrangements of intracellular molecules involved in cell adhesion and migration. Studies how a particular membrane protein on platelets regulates platelet adhesion under shear conditions.
	Arie Horowitz, D.Sc. Assistant Staff Endothelial cell signaling and motility in angiogenesis; endothelial cell guidance; vessel sprouting and guidance; membrane trafficking.
	Sadashiva Karnik, Ph.D. Staff Analyzes the molecular basis of Angiotensin Receptors induce cellular responses. Uses proteomic analysis to address how angiotensin II signals.
	Todor Mazgalev, Ph.D. Staff Determines the therapeutic effects of selective vagal stimulation in heart failure and atrial fibrillation. To study the selective atrioventricular nodal vagal stimulation for reduction of the ventricular rate during atrial fibrillation.
	Saurav Misra, Ph.D. Assistant Staff Chaperones and cochaperones, especially the Hsp70 nucleotide exchange factor Bag2 Proteins involved in ubiquitination, including the quality control ubiquitin ligase CHIP and the Act1 ubiquitin ligase, which functions in innate immune signaling Cytoskeletal and adaptor proteins that regulate the Cystic Fibosis protein CFTR
	Dianne M. Perez, Ph.D. Staff Studies the mechanism and signal pathways of cardiac protection and adaptation through alpha1A-adrenergic receptor stimulation. Resolves the role of alpha1-ARs in neurogenesis and cognition and its potential benefit in Alzheimer’s Disease or other neurogenerative condition.
	Eugene Podrez, MD., Ph.D. Associate Staff New players and pathways regulating platelet function in conditions of dislipoproteinemia, oxidative stress and infection Molecular and cellular pathways leading to disturbance of cholesterol balance in cells
	Sathyamangla Prasad, Ph.D. Assistant Staff Determine the role of PI3Kinases in regulating β-adrenergic receptor function and its implications in asthma and cardiac pathology. Role of microRNAs as cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Investigate the role of PI3K-γ mediated regulation of PP2A activity and its effects on cellular signaling/physiology.
	Jun Qin, Ph.D. Staff Mechanistic elucidation of integrin-mediated signal transduction, focal adhesion assembly, and their dysregulation in human diseases such as heart failure and cancer. Structures of protein complexes by high resolution protein NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.
	Subha Sen, Ph.D. Staff Evaluates the role of p53 during the transition of chronic cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure. Designs therapeutic approaches to inhibit Myotrophin, a cardiac protein that leads to the hypertrophy to heart failure transition.
	Olga Stenina, Ph.D. Assistant Staff Studies the transcriptional and translational mechanisms activated by hyperglycemia in endothelia and smooth muscle cells. Determines the roles of the thrombospondins, a family of matrix proteins, in atherogenesis, matrix production and vascular inflammation.
	David Van Wagoner, Ph.D. Associate Staff Assesses the genetic variations that underlie atrial fibrillation, both lone AF and AF that occurs in conjunction with structural heart disease. Assesses the determinants of post-operative atrial fibrillation and evaluates the utility of plasma biomarkers as predictors of arrhythmia risk. Determines whether changes in atrial metabolism contribute to the impaired electromechanical activity of the atria in the setting heart failure and/or atrial fibrillation
	Qing Wang, Ph.D. Staff Studies how genes and genetic variations contribute to cardiovascular diseases. Analyses how a newly discovered growth factor regulates angiogenesis. Develops new genetic approaches to treat arrhythmias.
	Qingyu Wu, M.D., Ph.D. Staff Proteolytic enzymes in cardiovascular biology and disease The cardiac serine protease corin in regulating blood pressure and heart function .