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Training the next generation of cardiovascular researchers is critical to the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute (MCRI) mission and a high priority in the Institute

Heart failure remains the leading cause of hospital admission in the United States. The Blanton laboratory investigates the basic molecular signaling mechanisms regulating the process of cardiac remodeling: the myocardial structural and functional abnormalities that ultimately cause the heart failure syndrome. Our overarching goal is to discover novel anti-remodeling signaling molecules in the heart which will enable us to design more effective and better-tolerated therapies for heart failure patients.

The Chin lab is interested in the molecular mechanisms that mediate the development of cardiomyopathies, with a particular focus on the genetic events that occur within the myocardium that result in myocardial dysfunction. Major areas of interest include the pathogenesis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), an inherited disorder that affects approximately 1 in 500, through transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic assessment, and the development of an enzyme replacement therapy for Barth Syndrome (BTHS), an inherited cardiomyopathy resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction.

The effects of sex hormones and their receptors on vascular function in health and disease states.

The Galper Lab has a long-standing interest in autonomic control of the heart and more recently in the pathogenesis of lethal ventricular arrhythmias following myocardial infarction in mouse models for type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome. We also have an interest in the mechanism of atrial fibrillation in these mouse models for metabolic heart disease.

The Good Laboratory is focused on understanding the mechanisms that regulate blood vessel function and inflammation and their contribution to the development of neurological diseases. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and ischemic stroke are both in the top 10 leading causes of mortality in the US, however, therapeutics are severely lacking to improve outcomes in these patients. CBF dysregulation, blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction and neuroinflammation are key features observed chronically in Alzheimer’s Disease patients and acutely in ischemic stroke patients. A gap in our knowledge, and an area with high potential for pharmacological intervention, is understanding vascular-mediated mechanisms that influence ischemic stroke outcome, such as recovery of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and inflammatory responses, and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

The overarching goal of the lab is to identify genes associated with human heart disease. We believe firmly in the benefit of making primary discoveries advancing understanding of human disease whenever possible, in humans. Within the past two decades, the human genome sequence has been completed and a map of genetic markers suitable for studying disease associations has been established. Both candidate gene and genome-wide association studies are performed in the Huggins laboratory with a focus on valve disease and genetic cardiomyopathy.

Icli Lab focuses on the role of microRNAs, a class of non-coding RNAs, in ischemic vascular disease states such as myocardial infarction, diabetic wound healing and obesity-induced chronic inflammation. Our group studies these complex disease states using diverse model systems including human plasma and tissue samples, human organoids, transgenic mouse models as well as primary cells. We take a multifaceted approach to delineate the disease mechanisms by utilizing state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques, bioinformatic approaches, bulk and single-cell RNA-seq, immunohistochemistry, and live animal imaging.

The Jaffe laboratory is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms by which blood vessels become dysfunctional to lead to common cardiovascular conditions, including heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, in-stent restenosis, vein graft failure and heart failure. We are interested in understanding how traditional risk factors like aging, obesity, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, or new risk factors like novel cancer treatments, cause blood vessels to become diseased. We are also focused on understanding sex differences in how these cardiovascular diseases develop, in order to identify sex-specific precision medicine strategies.

The Kapur Lab focuses on molecular mechanisms of cardiac remodeling and myocardial recovery. The laboratory has generated novel insight into signaling via the transforming growth factor beta (TGFb) family with a particular focus on the TGFb co-receptor endoglin (CD105) and Bone Morphogenetic Protein 9 (BMP9). The lab’s translational research focuses on preclinical models of acute and chronic heart failure, invasive hemodynamics, circulatory support device development, and cardioprotective mechanisms in the setting of acute myocardial infarction.

The core focus of the Pulakat lab is the elucidation and manipulation of various biological pathways that contribute to the development and pathogenesis of cardio-metabolic diseases and aging and uncovering markers of sex differences in heart disease.

The Women’s CV Health Research Group brings together basic scientists from the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute (MCRI) with scientists, clinician investigators and population researchers from diverse Departments at Tufts Medical Center including Internal Medicine, the Mother Infant Research Institute (MIRI), Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Pediatrics with the Tufts Freidman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University School of Medicine and School of Public Health, and the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) with common interests in studying the unique aspects of Women’s Cardiovascular Health.

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