Cardiovascular Biology and Disease

Diseases of the cardiovascular system are the leading cause of death and morbidity in the US. CMM faculty with interests in cardiovascular biology use a wide variety of interdisciplinary approaches to investigate the molecular mechanisms of heart development, heart function, heart disease, and other malfunctions of the cardiovascular system. Particular strengths are in the areas of cardiovascular development, mechanisms of myofibril assembly and function, and cardiomyopathy.

Cardiovascular research faculty in CMM are members of the Sarver Heart Center’s Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program (MCRP). In concert with MCRP faculty from other Departments, the CMM cardiovascular group provides a strong training environment for undergraduates, medical students, graduate students, postdocs and medical residents.

Primary Faculty
Parker B. Antin, PhD Associate Vice President for Research, Division of Agriculture, Life and Veterinary Sciences, and Cooperative Extension Associate Dean, Research-Agriculture and Life Sciences Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology Professor, BIO5 Institute (520) 621-7201 pba@email.arizona.edu Investigating the mechanisms regulating lineage diversification and morphogenesis during embryogenesis.
Brett Colson, PhD Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine (520) 621-1950 bcolson@email.arizona.edu Deciphering the structural basis for cardiac muscle contraction at the molecular level in healthy heart physiology and disease.
Tom Doetschman, PhD Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Professor, BIO5 Institute (520) 626-4901 tdoetsch@email.arizona.edu Exploring the synergistic activities of TGFbeta deficiency and the gut microbiome in colon cancer.
Henk Granzier, PhD Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Professor, Physiology Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology Professor, BIO5 Insitutue (520) 626-3641 granzier@email.arizona.edu Discovering mechanisms whereby the giant filamentous protein titin influence muscle structure and function.
Carol C. Gregorio, PhD Vice Dean for Innovation and Development – COM - Tucson Department Head, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Co-Director, Sarver Heart Center Director, Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology Professor, BIO5 Institute (520) 626-8113 gregorio@email.arizona.edu Identifying the components and molecular mechanisms regulating cytoskeletal architecture in cardiac and skeletal muscle during normal development and in disease.
Samantha (Sam) Harris, PhD Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine (520) 621-0291 samharris@email.arizona.edu Exploring cardiac muscle mechanics, the regulation of myocardial contraction, the molecular basis of inherited cardiomyopathies, and myofilament proteins.
Paul A. Krieg, PhD Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology Research Scientist, Sarver Heart Center (520) 626-9370 pkrieg@email.arizona.edu Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying organ development in the vertebrate embryo.
Coen Ottenheijm, PhD Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine - (Research Scholar Track) (Career Track) (520) 626-4198 coeno@email.arizona.edu Focusing on the role of titin-based mechanosensing in diaphragm physiology.
Christopher Pappas, PhD Research Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine - (Career Track) (520) 626-5209 ctpappas@email.arizona.edu My work is focused on understanding how the architecture of muscle cells is regulated, with particular emphasis on how actin filaments assemble and how aberrant actin filament assembly leads to myopathies.
Raymond B. Runyan, PhD Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Scientist, Sarver Heart Center Investigator, Center for Toxicology (520) 626-2326 rrunyan@email.arizona.edu Research in this lab is focused on 3 projects. A. Regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in heart development and cancer. B. Mitochondrial transfer from stem cells to myocytes. C. Congenital heart disease from exposure to trichloroethylene.

Affiliated Faculty
Jil C Tardiff, MD Professor, Medicine Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Vice Chair, Research (520) 626-8001 jtardiff@email.arizona.edu My lab studies the relationship between sarcomeric structure and dynamics in the development of complex genetic cardiomyopathies.

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Cardiovascular Biology and Disease