Director: Pamela A. Lucchesi, PhD Faculty: John Bauer, PhD Maqsood (Max) Chotani, PhD Mary Cismowski, PhD Peter Giannone, MD Wendy Luce, MD James A. Stewart, PhD Loren E. Wold, PhD Affiliate Faculty: Stephen Cook, MD Judith Groner, MD Robert Hoffman, MD John Kovalchin, MD Marc Michalsky, MD Aymen Naguib, MD Alistair Phillips, MD

Director of Translational Research Vidu Garg, MD The Heart Center Co-Directors Timothy F. Feltes, MD Mark Galantowicz, MD John P. Cheatham, MD Click here to learn about The Heart Center

Mission

To conduct innovative, mechanism-based research leading to improved therapies and outcomes for pediatric cardiovascular diseases and to foster preventive strategies and promote cardiovascular health in adults. Much of the clinical care for pediatric cardiovascular and pulmonary medicine has been empirically implemented and based upon evidence derived in adult therapeutic trials. This is a central problem since differences between infants, children and adults are well recognized with respect to normal physiology, cardiopulmonary structure and function, drug responses and elimination mechanisms and disease manifestations. Furthermore, given recent innovations in pediatric surgical therapies many children with cardiovascular disease now survive into adulthood, where the incidence of residual disease is relatively high and these individuals continue to be at increased risk for sudden death later in life. 

Goals

• Basic research on cardiovascular development and the causes of cardiovascular disease
• Research to improve clinical outcomes
• Population strategies to reduce cardiovascular disease in adults by altering risk factors during childhood

Information gained in these pursuits will provide the needed insight to conduct translational research—the development of innovative approaches to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cardiac and vascular disease. 

Featured Research and Projects:

• Study How Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species Contribute to Drug Toxicity and Chronic Disease
• Cardiac Myocyte Failure
• Vascular Endothelial Cell Dysfunction
• Anti-HIV Drug Regimen Toxicities
• Pathophysiological Mechanisms of Cardiovascular and Cardiopulmonary Disease,  including the development and use of highly suitable animal models of human disease
• Investigation of Genetic Influences in Disease Predispositions and Structural Abnormalities  

View our latest featured research.