Research Labs

Our faculty, staff and students work as a team to create an atmosphere of learning, growing and life-long friendships. If you are interested in joining our team, please feel free to contact us for more information.

Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Berk's laboratory is focused on defining the mechanisms by which cells in the vascular wall respond to hemodynamic and hormonal stimuli. View Berk Lab page
Mark B. Taubman, M.D. Dr. Taubman's laboratory is focused on the role of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) in regulating inflammation and thrombosis in the arterial wall. There are three major areas of investigation... View Taubman Lab page
Jun-ichi Abe, M.D., Ph.D. In the last four years, I have been interested in the mechanism of atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction, especially in the role of oxidative stress, hypoxia, and hyperglycemia. View Abe Lab page
Jeffrey Alexis, M.D. The research in my lab focuses on key signaling pathways involved in the development of transplant arteriopathy. Transplant arteriopathy is the leading cause of long term morbidity and mortality following heart transplantation. View Alexis Lab page
Burns Blaxall, Ph.D. Our laboratory has a long-standing interest in the development, progression and regression (treatment) of heart failure, particularly as it relates to b(beta)-adrenergic receptor (b-AR) signaling. View Blaxall Lab page
Keigi Fujiwara, Ph.D. Dr. Fujiwara's major research is on mechanosignaling by vascular endotehlial cells. Mechanical forces such as fluid flow and stretch trigger unique responses in endothelial cells, indicating that they are capable of sensing mechanical forces. View Fujiwara Lab page
Zheng-Gen Jin, Ph.D. Dr. Jin’s research has been focused on molecular regulation of vascular endothelial function. Vascular endothelial cells in blood vessels produce a number of vasodilator and vasoconstrictor substances that not only physiologically regulate vasomotor tone and vascular homeostasis, but also mediate the recruitment and activity of inflammatory cells and the propensity towards atherosclerotic lesion formation and thrombosis in the pathological condition. View Jin Lab page
Coeli Lopes, Ph.D. The major focus of Dr. Lopes current work involves the regulation of the slow delayed rectifier-like current (IKs) in the heart and the pathogenesis of the Long QT (LQT1) syndrome. View Lopes Lab page
Charles J. Lowenstein, M .D. Research Focus Dr. Lowenstein's research is focused on vascular biology. One team or researchers explores mechanisms of exocytosis, through which endothelial cells release pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic mediators. A second group of scientists study how platelets communicate with endothelial cells. A third area of research involves an exploration of the role of microRNA in endothelial cells. A fourth team investigates how nitric oxide affects vascular inflammation. View Lowenstein Lab page
Joseph Miano, Ph.D. My lab utilizes state-of-the-art methods in molecular biology, genetics, genomics, and computational biology to acquire in-depth knowledge on the transcriptional regulation of gene expression and the functional role of regulatory proteins in Alzheimer’s disease and vascular occlusive disease. View Miano Lab page
Craig N. Morrell, D.V.M., Ph.D. Research Focus Platelets have two major functions: hemostastis/thrombosis and an immune regulatory function. My laboratory uses in vitro techniques and in vivo mouse models to study both important platelet functions. View Morrell Lab page
Jane Sottile, Ph.D. Remodelling of extracellular matrices occurs during development, wound healing, and in a variety of pathological processes including atherosclerosis, ischemic injury, and angiogenesis. Perturbing matrix remodelling events by preventing the turnover of extracellular matrix molecules, or by increasing the levels of matrix degrading proteases or inhibitors has been shown to result in fibrosis, arthritis, reduced angiogenesis, and developmental abnormalities. View Sottile Lab page
R. James White, M.D., Ph.D. The overall goal of my laboratory is to understand the pathobiology which causes vascular remodeling in severe human pulmonary hypertension. Severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) occurs in idiopathic form and is also observed in diseases as diverse as chronic venous thromboembolism, scleroderma, HIV infection, and cirrhosis. View White Lab page
Haodong Xu, M.D., Ph.D. Arrhythmias remain a major health problem, causing at least 250,000 deaths annually in the United States. Dr. Xu's long term goal is to elucidate molecular signaling pathways involving the development of cardiac arrhythmias so that therapeutic targets for treatment and/or prevention can be identified. View Xu Lab page
Chen Yan, Ph.D. Regulation and function of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in the cardiovascular system. Second messenger cyclic nucleotides (cAMP and cGMP) regulate many signaling pathways in the cardiovascular system. View Yan Lab page