Name: Kedryn Baskin
Email: kedryn.baskin@osumc.edu
Department: Physiology and Cell Biology
Preferred Method of Contact: Faculty email
Previous Mentoring: Yes (funded)
Category of research: Basic
Research Description: The Baskin laboratory studies cardiovascular physiology and the molecular mechanisms that regulate cardiac function, with a focus on the endocrine function of the heart. The heart has the remarkable capacity to adapt to metabolic, hormonal, and stress signals, in part by secreting factors that act in an autocrine/paracrine manner to optimize cardiac function. Some proteins and metabolites secreted from the heart have the potential to regulate systemic metabolism. We are investigating the function of several cardiomyokines, factors secreted from the heart, in order to determine how ""skinny factors"" regulate body weight. We also investigate how cardiomyokines are transcriptionally regulated, particularly through the Mediator complex. Collectively, our discoveries will broaden the understanding of the heart's role in inter-organ communication and systemic metabolism. Our long-term goal is to identify new avenues for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases.
Specific areas of Research Emphasis: Cells, Organ Systems & Integrative Biology; Heart Disease; Nutrition/Obesity
Name: Brandon Biesiadecki
Email: biesiadecki.1@osu.edu
Department: Physiology and Cell Biology
Name of Lab Manager: Elizabeth Brundage
Email: elizabeth.brundage@osumc.edu
Preferred Method of Contact: Faculty email
Previous Mentoring: No
Category of research: Basic
Research Description: The Biesiadecki lab focuses on understanding the effects of cardiac muscle post-translational modification on cardiac contraction. Research in the lab is broad encompassing work from biochemistry to animal measurements and include human samples. Current work is centered on understanding the biochemical and animal level cardiac function of troponin I phosphorylation and nitration as well as their interaction as occurs in myocardial infarction.
Specific areas of Research Emphasis: Heart Disease
Name: Vadim Fedorov
Email: vadim.fedorov@osumc.edu
Department: Physiology and Cell Biology
Preferred Method of Contact: Faculty email
Previous Mentoring: No
Category of research: Basic; Translational
Research Description: Our research is focused on the mechanisms of cardiac pacemaker activity and arrhythmogenesis in the explanted human heart, using state-of-the-art 3-D optical mapping techniques. Our main research interest is to understand how sino-atrial nodal (SAN) pacemakers dysfunction and atrial fibrillation (AF) can occur due to congestive heart failure, aging, and tachycardia remodeling. Specific areas of the research include studying the mechanisms of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias in the explanted human hearts (rejected donors), using a combination of high resolution 3-D optical mapping and clinical catheter electrodes. The overall objective of the proposed study is to define the morphology and criteria of the intracardiac electrograms from the coronary-perfused human heart which identify arrhythmia mechanisms and aid clinicians in choosing more effective and safe therapy methods, such as ablation, permanent pacemaker and/or antiarrhythmic drugs.
Specific areas of Research Emphasis: Molecular Pharmacology; Pharmacogenomics & Pharmacotherapeutics; Cells; Organ Systems & Integrative Biology; Heart Disease
Name: Sissy Jhiang
Email: sissy.jhiang@osumc.edu
Department: Physiology & Cell Biology
Preferred Method of Contact: Faculty Email
Previous Mentoring: Yes (not funded)
Category of research: Translational
Research Description: Identify genetic and image biomarkers for the progression and therapeutic response of thyroid cancer.
Specific areas of Research Emphasis: Biomedical Informatics; Cancer Therapy
Name: Beth Lee
Email: lee.2076@osu.edu
Department: Physiology & Cell Biology
Preferred Method of Contact: Faculty Email
Previous Mentoring: No (never applied)
Category of research: Basic; Translational
Research Description: The Lee laboratory studies quite two different aspects of renal and skeletal cell biology. For our renal studies, we examine how tubule epithelia survive and recover from acute kidney injury caused by ischemia-reperfusion. We are particularly focused on a protein called HuR, which stabilizes numerous cellular mRNAs, leading to increased cell survival. We use both in vitro and vivo models of acute kidney injury to examine how HuR itself is regulated, and to determine its action in the kidney. In the skeletal realm, we study the cell biology of osteoclasts. We are interested in how these cells are formed and how their activity is regulated. Our major focus is on how serum factors signal these cells to undergo rearrangements of the cytoskeleton that increase their motility and bone resorptive capacity.
Specific areas of Research Emphasis: Musculoskeletal Disorders; Cells; Organ Systems & Integrative Biology; Kidney Disease
Name: Nuo Sun
Email: sun.2507@osu.edu
Department: Physiology & Cell Biology
Preferred Method of Contact: Faculty Email
Previous Mentoring: No (never applied)
Category of research: Translational
Research Description: The phenomenon of aging is an intrinsic feature of life. However, aging itself remains the greatest risk factor for all major life-threatening disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and cardiovascular disease. A decline in mitochondrial quality and activity has been associated with normal aging and correlated with the development of a wide range of age-related diseases. We have a great passion to investigate how mitochondria participate in aging, and to explore effective interventions to counteract aging and aging related diseases. In particular, we were able to develop a novel methodology to analyze and quantify in vivo mitophagy in a wide range of primary cells and tissues, and employ his system to analyze how mitophagy is altered under a host of varying environmental and genetic perturbations. Our laboratory is now focusing on mitochondrial functions and mitophagy in cardiac physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Using genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 activation/repression screening and high-content image-based chemical screening, we seek to elucidate molecular pathways regulating mitophagy using cellular, genetic, and biochemical approaches. The laboratory work ranges from molecular biology to systems physiology using multiple genetically modified mouse models and iPSC technology.
Specific areas of Research Emphasis: Aging; Heart Disease; Molecular Genetics
Name: Loren Wold
Email: Loren.Wold@osumc.edu
Department: Physiology and Cell Biology
Lab Manager/Assistant: Mitch Guess
Lab Manager/Assistant Email: guess.44@osu.edu
Preferred Method of Contact: Faculty email
Previous Mentoring: Yes, funded
The Wold lab is currently investigating three unique, but related projects:
Research Description 1: Project 1 is using the heart as a window to Alzheimer's Disease progression. We recently showed that beta-amyloid, the protein found to aggregate in the brain in AD is also present in the heart. This intriguing finding is being expanded to design novel therapeutic strategies to target treatment for Alzheimer's Disease.
Research Description 2: We are investigating the cardiovascular implications of e-cigarette use, with extended studies designed to understand the role of e-cigarette use in in utero priming of adult disease
Research Description 3: Investigating the unique cardiopulmonary effects of exposure to World Trade Center dust.
All studies use state of the art echocardiography and isolated mouse myocyte functional studies to understand both in vivo and in vitro cardiac alterations in various disease states.
Research Area: Heart Disease, Aging
Name: Jing Zhao
Email: jing.zhao@osumc.edu
Department: Physiology & Cell Biology
Preferred Method of Contact: Faculty Email
Previous Mentoring: No (never applied)
Category of research: Translational
Research Description: I am interested in investigating the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury and systemic inflammatory diseases. My laboratory research focuses on the molecular regulation of innate immunity, lung endothelial inflammation and barrier integrity. 1. The Skp1-Cul1-F-box protein (SCF) ligase complex is one of the largest amongst the ubiquitin E3 ligase families. The F-box protein connects the ligase complex and specific substrates through its F-box domain and substrate binding motif, respectively. We have shown that SCFFBXL19 targets ST2L, the CREB binding protein (CBP), and members of the Rho family of GTPases for their ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Our current project is to investigate the molecular regulation of FBXL19 in acute lung injury. 2. Endothelial cell (EC) barrier disruption and inflammation are pathological hallmarks for inflammatory diseases, such as acute lung injury and sepsis. Our current project is to investigate the role of the de-ubiquitinating enzyme in the regulation of lung microvascular inflammation and barrier function.
Specific areas of Research Emphasis: Lung Disease
Name: Mark Ziolo
Email: mark.ziolo@osumc.edu
Department: Physiology & Cell Biology
Preferred Method of Contact: Faculty Email
Previous Mentoring: Yes (funded)
Category of research: Basic; Translational
Research Description 1: My research area is excitation-contraction coupling in the heart using state-of-the-art electrophysiological and optical methods. The focus of my research is how the nitroso-redox balance modulates cardiac myocyte (the muscle cell of the heart) function, other areas include beta-adrenergic signaling and human heart failure. More specifically, the lab examines the effects of nitric oxide (NO) on myocyte contraction. NO is a free radical that is produced within cardiac myocytes via enzymes termed NO synthase (NOS). There are 3 isoforms of NOS, and all 3 are expressed in myocytes. The lab studies the functional effects, signaling pathways and end targets of all 3 NOS isoforms. Studies performed in the lab are done on isolated cardiac myocytes. We isolate the myocytes from a variety of animals- mice (NOS1-/-, NOS3-/-, NOS2-/-, a cardiac specific, inducible overexpression of NOS2, and others (through collaborations), rabbits (control and adenovirus-mediated overexpression (in culture), failing human hearts (from transplant recipients or LVAD implants) and a canine heart failure model.
Research Description 2: My research area is cardiovascular physiology. The focus of my research is how the nitroso-redox equilibrium modulates cardiac contractile function (mechanical and electrical) and heart structure. Nitric oxide (NO), produced via NO synthases, is tightly coordinated with other redox molecules (e.g., superoxide anion) to modulate heart function/structure. A key contributor to the contractile dysfunction and remodeling of many cardiomyopathies is nitroso-redox disequilibrium. The lab is currently investigating the therapeutic potential of a novel compound that restores the nitroso-redox equilibrium in various cardiomyopathies.
Specific areas of Research Emphasis: Molecular Pharmacology; Pharmacogenomics & Pharmacotherapeutics; Cells; Organ Systems & Integrative Biology; Heart Disease