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 Dean, Research-Agriculture and Life Sciences
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
(520) 621-7201

Research in our laboratory investigates mechanisms regulating lineage diversification and morphogenesis during embryogenesis.
Brett Colson, PhD
Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
(520) 621-1950

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

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

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

The research in my laboratory is focused on 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

Cardiac muscle mechanics; regulation of myocardial contraction; molecular basis of inherited cardiomyopathies; myofilament proteins.
Paul A. Krieg, PhD
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
Research Scientist, Sarver Heart Center
(520) 626-9370

My research seeks to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying organ development in the vertebrate embryo.
Coen Ottenheijm, PhD
Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
(520) 626-4198

The Ottenheijm Lab focuses on the role of titin-based mechanosensing in diaphragm physiology.
Christopher Pappas, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
(520) 626-5209

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

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

My lab studies the relationship between sarcomeric structure and dynamics in the development of complex genetic cardiomyopathies.