Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Gregory Dick, Ph.D.

I study ion channels in the smooth muscle cells of coronary arteries and arterioles. I am especially interested in how these ion channels regulate vascular tone and control coronary blood flow. I am trying to determine how these mechanism work on a beat-to-beat basis in the normal heart as well as what goes wrong over the long-term with obesity, diabetes, and other pathological conditions. My goal is to provide a better understanding of coronary vascular regulation in health and disease.

Rong Ma, Ph.D.

In the U.S. diabetic kidney disease is a major complication of diabetes mellitus and is the most common cause of chronic kidney disease. The research in our laboratory is directed at understanding the molecular mechanisms of the development of diabetic kidney disease. Specifically, we are interested in the role of different calcium signaling pathways in the diabetes-induced kidney injury.

Caroline Rickards, Ph.D.

My research team in the Cerebral & Cardiovascular Research Laboratory use unique human and animal models to explore the regulation of brain blood flow and oxygenation during stressors that challenge cerebral perfusion (such as traumatic hemorrhage, cardiac arrest, and stroke), and develop novel interventions to treat these conditions.

Steven Romero, Ph.D.

My laboratory has two broad research themes. The objective of the first theme is to investigate how the human vascular system adjusts and adapts to exercise and environmental stress in healthy and diseased populations. The objective of the second theme is to explore the vascular and functional maladaptations that accompany various conditions such as hypertension and primary aging, and to develop novel therapies that may mitigate such deleterious changes.

Johnathan Tune, Ph.D.

My research focuses on the regulation of myocardial oxygen delivery, contractile function and metabolism in health and disease. The goal of this research is to elucidate mechanisms of impaired coronary and cardiac function in the setting of obesity and diabetes. Using animal models, we conduct experiments designed to delineate putative mechanisms responsible for the regulation of coronary blood flow, identify factors that contribute to the initiation and progression of coronary vascular dysfunction and disease, and protecting the heart from irreversible ischemic damage.