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.

Parker B. Antin, PhD
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Associate Vice President for Research, Agriculture - Life and Veterinary Sciences, Cooperative Extension
Associate Dean for Research, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
(520) 661-6382

Lineage diversification and morphogenesis during embryogenesis.
Jared Churko, PhD
Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Director, iPS Cell Core
Assistant Professor, BIO5 Institute
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Assistant Professor, Genetics GIDP
Assistant Professor, Physiological Sciences GIDP
(520) 626-2347

Using informatics to understand cardiovascular development and disease mechanisms using human induced pluripotent stem cells.
Brett Colson, PhD
Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Associate Professor, BIO5 Institute
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Associate Professor, Clinical Translational Sciences
Associate Professor, Physiological Sciences GIDP
(520) 621-1950

Deciphering the structural basis for cardiac muscle contraction at the molecular level in healthy heart physiology and disease.
Henk Granzier, PhD
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Professor, BIO5 Insitutue
Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Professor, Genetics GIDP
Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
Professor, Physiological Sciences GIDP
Professor, Physiology
(520) 626-3641

Discovering mechanisms whereby the giant filamentous protein titin influence muscle structure and function.
Carol C. Gregorio, PhD
Professor and Department Head, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Interim Director, Sarver Heart Center
Director, Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program
Assistant Vice Provost, Global Health Sciences
Director, UArizona Health Sciences Global and Online
Czarina M. and Humberto S. Lopez Endowed Chair for Excellence in Cardiovascular Research
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
(520) 626-8113

Identifying the components and molecular mechanisms regulating cytoskeletal architecture in cardiac and skeletal muscle during normal development and in disease.
Samantha (Sam) Harris, PhD
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Co-Chair, Arizona Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Professor, Physiological Sciences GIDP
Professor, Physiology
(520) 621-0291

Exploring cardiac muscle mechanics, the regulation of myocardial contraction, the molecular basis of inherited cardiomyopathies, and myofilament proteins.
Mei Methawasin, PhD
Assistant Research Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
(520) 626-4198

Cardiomyocyte mechanics and Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction(HFpEF).
Coen Ottenheijm, PhD
Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine - (Research Scholar Track)
(520) 626-4198

Focusing on the role of titin-based mechanosensing in diaphragm physiology.
Christopher Pappas, PhD
Assistant Research 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.
Casey E. Romanoski, PhD
Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Associate Professor, Clinical Translational Sciences
Associate Professor, Genetics GIDP
Associate Professor, Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center
Associate Professor, Cancer Biology GIDP
Member, BIO5 Institute
(520) 626-7244

Systems genetics approaches to identify mechanisms of complex disease.