Faculty Directory
Boaz Avitall, MD, PhD - Professor of Medicine; Director, Research and Clinical Electrophysiology Services. He holds numerous patents in cardiac arrhythmia ablation and has published extensively on the subject. He is one of the first to test endocardial atrial fibrillation ablation. He introduced linear ablation technology to the field of atrial fibrillation ablation. Dr. Avitall and Dan Lafontaine were the first to examine cryo balloon technology for the isolation of pulmonary veins. He has done extensive work on the long-term harms of chronic atrial fibrillation. Recently, he has researched endocardial LV pacing for cardiac synchronization and atrial fibrillation suppression in the pursuit of wireless pacing technology. Dr. Avitall developed and introduced web-based, remote home heath care monitoring for the management of heart failure, hypertension and diabetes. He has coauthored numerous articles on the efficacy of home health care monitoring. bavitall@uic.edu.
Kathrin Banach, PhD - Assistant Professor of Physiology in Medicine; Dr. Banach's research focuses on the intercellular communication of cardiac myocytes through gap junction channels. Changes in gap junction isoform expression or their post-translational regulation can occur during e.g. cardiac hypertrophy, atrial fibrillation or sinus node disease and lead to changes of cardiac pacemaker function, cardiac excitation spread and changes of cardiomyocyte excitability. All these can result in life threatening arrhythmias. The aim of the laboratory is to understand the functional relevant electrophysiological properties of gap junctions, as well as the mechanisms and signal transduction pathways that regulate them under physiological as well as pathophysiological conditions. In the last years the research of the laboratory has focused specifically on the role of gap junction channels in the functional integration of cardiac replacement tissue that was generated from embryonic stem cells. The laboratory was able to develop an in-vitro model of a biological cardiac pacemaker that will be tested in-vivo in the near future. kbanach@uic.edu.
Joan Briller, MD - Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Director of the Womens Health Program and of the Treadmill Exercise Laboratory. She has had a long interest in women's issues in cardiac disease, especially with regard to the more difficult diagnosis of heart disease in women, gender differences in risk factors and therapy, and in pregnancy and heart disease. Clinical interests include echocardiography and she has now cared for several hundred women who were pregnant with cardiac complications. She has been a participant in numerous clinical trials addressing reducing cardiovascular risk in women and was recent honoree of the American Heart Association for her contributions to that organization and her commitment to addressing cardiac issues in women. briller@uic.edu.
Eva Chomka, MD - Associate Professor of Medicine; Dr. Chomka is a noninvasive cardiologist who pioneered electron beam-ultrafast CT at the University of Illinois starting in 1984. Her currents interests include cardiac CT: all aspects including extensive coronary calcium, CT angiography, echocardiography and MR imaging. Women and heart disease, preventive and integrative cardiology (including botanical medicine and mind-body medicine), imaging congenital heart disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis in relation to cardiovascular disease are other areas of interest. She invites patients to participate and consciously transform their lives. evchomka@uic.edu
Robert Danziger, MD - Associate Professor of Medicine and Physiology. Dr
Danziger's laboratory focuses on renal hypertension and uses a combination
of rodent models, global screening strategies, genetic mapping, and cell
biology to develop diagnostic strategies and therapeutic targets for
arterial hypertension. He is also pursuing related genetic and genomic
studies in human populations. rdanzig@uic.edu.
Samuel Dudley, MD, PhD - Professor of Medicine and Chief, Section of Cardiology. Dr. Dudley’s research focuses on cardiac biology. He has contributed to understanding the structure, regulation, and pathophysiology of the cardiac sodium channel, including 1) describing the function of the promoter, 2) describing transcriptional effects of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), 3) identifying a new gene for Brugada syndrome, and 4) identifying transcription dysregulation in human heart failure (HF). These discoveries have lead to a plausible hypothesis for the anti-arrhythmic effects of RAS inhibitors, a possible blood test to predict arrhythmic risk in HF, and a potential new treatment for this risk. He is investigating how the RAS system and reactive oxygen species contribute to atrial fibrillation (AF) by downregulation of channels involved in impulse conduction. AF results in increased oxidative stress, most predominantly in the left atrium. This endocardial remodeling contributes to the propensity for thrombus formation in this chamber and may represent part of the reason for the success of ablation strategies focused on this chamber. This line of investigation has led to insights into oxidative stress and diastolic HF, a potential new blood test for AF risk, and a human clinical trial to see statins will reduce atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrences. Finally, he has developed a tissue engineered approach for cardiac cell replacement. He was one of the earliest figures in the development of embryonic stem cells for this use and recently described a new approach to increase cell engraftment. sdudley@emory.edu
Tohru Fukai, PhD - Associate Professor of Medicine; Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases. The major focus of Dr. Fukai’s research is the role of extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) in cardiovascular disease. The ecSOD is one of the major copper containing antioxidant enzymes in the vasculature, and plays an important role in regulating blood pressure, neovascularization, and endothelial function by preventing oxidative inactivation of NO. Most recently, his laboratory demonstrated that copper transport system is a key regulator of ecSOD activity and expression. Thus, the long-term goal of his lab is to determine the role of copper homeostasis and copper transport system for ecSOD as well as to define their functional relationships in oxidative stress-dependent cardiovascular disease. tfukai@uic.edu.
Leon Frazin, MD - Professor of Clinical Medicine; Director of Echocardiography at Jesse brown VA Hospital and Director of Transesophageal Echocardiography Services at UIC Hospital. In 1975 he introduced transesophageal echocardiographic methodology which today is used worldwide. Research work with ultrasound since that time has included the first description of helical blood flow in the descending aorta, development of ultrasonic techniques for heart catheterization without X-ray, modification of the transesophageal probe for evaluation of abdominal aortic branches and establishing anatomic landmarks for imaging the descending aorta. He holds multiple patents on ultrasound technology. lfrazin@uic.edu.
Jesus Garcia, MD, PhD - Associate Professor of Physiology. The overall goals of the research in Dr. García’s laboratory are to determine the role of calcium channels in signal transduction in striated muscle and to elucidate how calcium regulates gene expression during cardiac cell growth. High voltage activated calcium channel are formed by different subunits. We recently found that the a2/δ1 subunit is important for interactions of muscle cells with the extracellular matrix, which represents a new role for this protein independent from its interactions with other channel subunits. Ongoing research is investigating the role of extracellular domains of the a2/δ1 subunit as a chemical sensor and its transcriptional regulation during development and muscle repair. We have also found that the intracellular calcium release channel, IP3R, is present in the nucleus of cardiac myocytes where it modulates gene expression. We are investigating the regulation of IP3R and its effects on nuclear calcium concentrations and gene expression during development and hypertrophy. garmar@uic.edu
David L. Geenen, PhD - Assistant Professor of Physiology in Medicine; Dr. Geenen’s research is supported by the National Institutes of Health and Illinois Department of Public Health and encompasses the fields of regenerative medicine and stem cell biology. His particular interest is in the role of adult bone marrow derived stem cells in regenerating cardiovascular tissue. His laboratory studies the mechanisms of homing, migration and differentiation of mobilized and exogenously administered stem cells within the myocardium. He has established rodent models of cardiac ischemia and heart failure to assess the functional effect of stem cell integration. These measurements are performed using high resolution echocardiography and intraventricular pressure/volume catheters as part of the University of Illinois at Chicago's Center for Cardiovascular Research (CCVR). Dr. Geenen is also the Co-Director of the Program in Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology of the CCVR. Most recently, his laboratory, in collaboration with interventional cardiologists Drs. John Kao and Adhir Shroff received a Clinical and Translational Science Award to conduct a Phase I clinical trial using autologous stem cell therapy in heart failure patients. geenen@uic.edu.
Paul H. Goldspink, Ph.D - Assistant Professor of Physiology in Medicine; Dr. Goldspink’s primary research interests are directed at trying to understand the adaptive and maladaptive responses of the heart to injury, disease and aging. Over the years his research has focused on understanding both transcriptional and post-translational regulation of contractile proteins in the myocardium in response to signal transduction activation. These processes and their regulation are important in cardiac disease such a hypertrophy/failure and diabetic cardiac myopathy. Recently, his laboratory has been working on the role of paracrine and autocrine signaling mechanisms as part of the remodeling and repair processes associated with the diseased myocardium. In particular, the role of a locally expressed isoform of IGF-1, called Mechano-Growth Factor (MGF), which plays a protective role by preventing cell death, preserving the contractility and mobilizing resident cardiac progenitor cells. He is presently investigating the underlying mechanisms utilizing short peptide mimetics to examine the functional regions of MGF, with the view of adapting this approach for therapeutic use. pgolds@uic.edu.
John Kao, MD, - Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Cardiology. Dr. Kao's clinical interests include the treatment of complex coronary artery disease and structural heart disease. He is an expert in the use of intravascular ultrasound, rotational atherectomy, thrombectomy and distal protection devices, amoung others. He enjoys the challenges of complex coronary interventions and has a particular interest in unprotected left main intervention, chronic total occlusions and bifurction lesions. From a strucural heart disease perspective he performs PFO and ASD closures and is actively pursuing the development of a percutaneous valve program at UIC. From a research perspective, Dr. Kao is actively involved in clinical trials, both industry sponsored and independently funded, and in conducting outcomes and quality of care research with both local and national databases. jakao@uic.edu.
Tomoyoshi Kobayashi, Ph.D. - Research Associate Professor of Physiology. Striated muscle contraction is regulated by Ca2+ and strong cross-bridge formations. Ca2+ binds to the troponin (Tn) complex located on the thin filament. Ca2+-binding to TnC, one of the Tn components, triggers a series of structural change among the thin filament proteins, subsequently allowing the interaction of the thick and thin filaments. The regulation by Ca2+-activation of cardiac muscle is fine-tuned by covalent modification, such as phosphorylation of the myofilament proteins, including TnI and TnT. Using biochemical, biophysical and molecular biology methods, we are investigating the molecular mechanisms whereby the Ca2+-binding to TnC activates the thin filament to initiate contraction and how this event is modified by covalent modification under the pathophysiological conditions. tkoba@uic.edu.
Abraham G. Kocheril, MD - Professor of Medicine. Dr. Kocheril's research interests include ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) - part of a group of electrophysiologists designing a randomized controlled trial of AF ablation evaluating different approaches (PVI, addition of RA lesions, targeting CFAE's); started in London 3/14/08, German centers to start in 4/08, US study protocol under development. His study on the effects of harp music on electrophysiologic parameters uses Pachelbel's Canon in D, played while the patient is undergoing EP study. Measurements are obtained before, during, and after music. With a long-standing interest in athletes' hearts, he is studying the effects of a program of athlete's cardiac evaluation to prevent athletic field deaths. He is involved in clinical trials of alternatives to warfarin for anticoagulation in AF. He is involved in a systematic multi-center comparison of intra-cardiac echocardiography (ICE) with TEE in patients undergoing EP procedures. akocheri@uic.edu
George T. Kondos, MD - Professor of Medicine; Chief, Clinical Cardiology Service. Dr. Kondos’ research interests focus on the evaluation and detection of subclincal cardiovascular disease using Electron Beam Computed Technology. Dr. Kondos has been a pioneer in the field of early detection of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Kondos’ clinical interests include diagnostic cardiac catheterization and hemodynamic assessment, cardiovascular prevention, early detection of cardiovascular disease, diagnosis and management of coronary disease, heart failure and valvular heart disease. Dr. Kondos has also developed one of the few Cardiovascular Teaching Centers in the Midwest using Harvey, a patient mannequin, to simulate twenty-seven different cardiovascular diseases. The Cardiovascular Simulation Center houses two Harvey mannequins, a Heart Sound Simulator, and numerous multimedia computer assisted instruction programs. gtkondos@uic.edu
E. Douglas Lewandowski, Ph.D - Director of the Program in Integrative Cardiac Metabolism and Professor of Physiology and Biophysics. The research program explores metabolic flux regulation and its role in mediating cardiac function and contractility in heart disease. His research is currently focused on maladaptive metabolic gene expression and activity in pressure overload, cardiac hypertrophy and inefficiencies in metabolic flux through the energy yielding pathways of hypertrophied and post-ischemic hearts. He has a longstanding interest in developing of novel protocols that utilize stable isotope kinetics and detection with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as indices of metabolic activity in intact organs. These protocols are applied to cardiac studies to elucidate metabolic mechanisms underlying dysfunction in diseased hearts. His work also combines in vivo measurements of cardiac metabolism with high resolution MRI of cardiac function. dougl@uic.edu
J. Michael O'Donnell, PhD - Assistant Professor in the Department of Phyisology and Biophysics. As a member of the Program in Integrative Cardiac Metabolism, Dr. O'Donnell is interested in the fundamental mechanisms responsible for the regulation of metabolism in healthy and diseased heart (diabetes, hypertrophy, heart failure, and ischemia/reperfusion). Mathematical models of cardiac metabolism are derived and fit to NMR data acquired from functioning hearts oxidizing 13C labeled substrates. This gives metabolic activity and enzyme rates in parallel to measures of energy potential and function. His studies have a mechanistic focus, and he is currently utilizing methods of gene transfer to manipulate the content of key regulatory enzymes in vivo. Particular interest is focused on how perturbations in cytosolic calcium homeostasis, via SERCA overexpression and silencing, influence metabolic processes within the cell. Additional attention is focused on the regulatory mechanisms mediating endogenous lipid oxidation and storage in healthy and diseased heart. odonnell@uic.edu
Mariann R. Piano, RN, PhD - Professor, College of Nursing: Dr. Piano’s research program is directed at understanding the adverse effects of long-term heavy and binge/bender alcohol consumption on the myocardium. More recently, investigative efforts have been directed at understanding the interaction effect of binge drinking and cigarette smoking on the myocardium. Primary tobacco use and binge or bender ethanol drinking are independently associated with a variety of adverse medical consequences. These combined behaviors coexist and are prevalent in our society, especially among adolescence and young adults. In particular, both behaviors are associated with premature death and increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Dr. Pianos research has focused on systemic (neurohormones) and cellular/molecular (mitogen-activated protein kinases, apoptosis) mechanisms that underlie the cardiotoxic effects of alcohol. In addition, her research has also considered how the presence of ovarian hormones or female sex might modulate the effects of alcohol.piano@uic.edu
Brenda Russell, PhD - Professor of Physiology, Bioengineering and Medicine. It is common knowledge that exercise makes muscle stronger. However, the scientific basis for this adaptation and the processes by which muscle remodels are not well understood in healthy muscle and even less so in diseased or pathological situations. Dr Russell's scientific training, background, experience, and productivity encompass a range of disciplines that forge linkages in the continuum between quantitative cell biology, bioengineering and physiology. Dr Russell has used numerous experimental models to alter the amount of work done by skeletal and cardiac cells so that she can discover the mechanisms that underlie the ability of the cell to adapt to exercise or disuse. The Russell lab has developed micro textured surfaces that allow muscle cells to adhere, align and function in culture so that very precise conditions can be simulated and the biological responses analyzed. At present she studies the complex integration of mechanical and biochemical signals that arise from hemodynamic stressors. Results encompass subcellular organelles, genes, proteins and their modifications. In recent years she has extended her research into cardiac stem cell biology in order to discover how local physical cues drive stem cells towards maturation to provide useful working heart cells. Many of her studies have been done in close collaboration with clinicians. russell@uic.edu
Adhir Shroff, MD, MPH - Assistant Professor in Medicine. He is currently involved in a variety of clinical research pursuits. His primary focus is on quality of care among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. He has developed and maintains a database of over 500 unique PCI patients with in-hospital events, angiographic details, six and twelve month clinical outcomes. This has been the source for much of his research projects. He also has done work with national cardiac catheterization databases. He is a PI on industry-sponsored, clinical research projects as well. arshroff@uic.edu
R. John Solaro, Ph.D - Distinguished University Professor and Chairman of Dept Physiology. We want to know the fundamental mechanisms responsible for regulation of the molecular motors of heart muscle cells. These motors are housed in structures called sarcomeres, which are responsible for the force generation and shortening of cardiac muscle cells that leads to ejection of blood. Our focus is on the molecular switch that turns on the motor. Our experiments ask: What events signal switch function and how is the switch modulated by sarcomere structure, chemistry, mechanical state, and drugs? We approach this question at several levels of organization by integrating information derived from techniques using the disciplines of physiology, biophysics, and molecular, structural and cellular biology. Acquired heart failure, and the linkage of sudden death in the young to mutations in sarcomeric proteins forms the basis for many of our studies, which aim to develop new diagnostics and therapies. solarorj@uic.edu
Thomas D. Stamos, MD - Assistant Professor of Medicine; Dr. Stamos' primary clinical and research interests involve heart failure and echocardiography. Dr. Stamos is involved in a number of multi-centered clinical trials studying new pharmacologic treatments for both inpatients and outpatients with systolic and diastolic heart failure. He is also involved in research evaluating novel echo parameters as predictors of outcomes, initiatives for improving quality of care and the study of various methods of patient education to improve outcomes and quality of life in heart failure patients. tstamos@uic.edu
Dorie Schwertz, RN, PhD - Associate professor of Medical-Surgical Nursing. Her research focuses on sex differences and the effects of sex hormones on heart function, development of myocardial pathologies, and the heart’s response to drugs. Her work uses the rat as an experimental model, using various preparations including the whole animal, isolated perfused heart, papillary muscle, atria, and skinned fibers as well as isolated myocytes. She has defined sex differences in cardiac function and electrophysiology. Future research will examine the molecular signaling mechanisms involved in the effects of sex hormones on protein expression in the heart. Future goals also include determining the mechanism(s) responsible for observed sex differences in arrhythmia generation and cardiac hypertrophy. The ultimate goal of her research is to provide an empirical basis for optimization of gender-specific therapies for heart disease. schwertz@uic.edu
Larry Tobacman, MD - Professor of Medicine and of Physiology & Biophysics; Dr. Tobacman's laboratory focuses on the control of cardiac muscle contraction by troponin and tropomyosin. From the viewpoint of cardiac physiology, the thin filament is the key, final regulatory site of the heart, where normal adaptive and, in some cases, abnormal maladaptive changes affect contraction. From a molecular perspective, the thin filament is a multi-protein assembly comprised of many actin, tropomyosin, and troponin molecules. It exhibits cooperativity, switches among quaternary structures, and its physiological regulatory action ultimately depends on its dynamic properties as a large protein assembly. Now is a particularly promising time for investigating this system, because of emerging data and new research tools. Ongoing projects involve analysis of regulatory protein-protein and protein ligand interactions, statistical approaches to large assemblies, 3-D helical reconstruction, effects of cardiomyopathy-causing thin filament mutations on protein folding and function, the biophysics of molecular motors, and amide hydrogen exchange studies of troponin and tropomyosin dynamics. lst@uic.edu
Masuko Ushio-Fukai, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology; Primary research interests of Dr. Ushio-Fukai are role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in growth-related signaling in the vasculature. ROS are highly reactive molecules that are formed by the one electron reduction of molecular oxygen, producing superoxide anion which is converted to H2O2 via superoxide dismutase (SOD). Although excess amount of ROS is toxic to the cells, ROS at physiological concentrations function as signaling molecules to mediate cell migration, growth and gene expression. Her laboratory demonstrated that NADPH oxidase, one of the major sources of ROS in the vessel wall, is essential for signaling activated by angiogenesis growth factors such as VEGF and G-protein coupled receptor agonists. Dr. Ushio-Fukai is currently investigating: 1) how ROS derived from NADPH oxidase mediate VEGF signaling linked to angiogenesis in cultured endothelial cells; 2) how the balance of NADPH oxidase and antioxidant (SOD) maintain the optimal levels of ROS required for revascularization in response to ischemic injury; 3) how ROS derived from inflammatory cells, endothelial cells, and endothelial progenitor/stem cells contribute to neovascularization after tissue ischemia in vivo. The approaches use transgenic and knockout mice, variety of cell and molecular biological techniques as well as in vitro and in vivo imaging. The long term goal of her laboratory is to understand the physiological and pathological role of ROS in postnatal neovascularization and stem/progenitor cell function, which will develop new therapeutic strategies for treatment of ischemic heart and limb diseases as well as for preventing cardiovascular disorders such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. mfukai@uic.edu
Mladen Vidovich, MD - Assistant Professor of Medicine; Director of the Chest Pain Center at the Jesse Brown VA, is an interventional cardiologist with clinical interests in coronary and peripheral intervention as well in CT angiography. His research interests are in clinical outcomes, vascular depression and emerging technologies. He is a participant in several clinical trials investigating intervention in ST elevation myocardial infarction and new pharmaceutical agents in non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. He is the Director of the UICORE UIC Division of Cardiology Center for Outcomes Research. Dr. Vidovich is Co-Director of the Heart and Mind Clinic, an interdisciplinary project between the departments of Medicine/Cardiology and Psychiatry to focus on an integrative approach in the comprehensive evaluation and management of comorbid cardiovascular and brain conditions, such as mood disorders.
Beata Wolska, PhD – Associate Professor of Physiology in Medicine; Dr. Wolska’s work focuses on membrane and myofilament control of cardiac function, both in physiological and pathological conditions such as hypertrophy and heart failure (HF). Her first project is focused on understanding the mechanisms that link altered myofilament activity in the development of hypertrophy and HF and mutations that cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC). Goals of the project include understanding sex-specific differences in hypertrophic signaling and whether smoking augments the development of FHC and HF. Her second research project examines how nitric oxide regulates cardiac dynamics during different stages of hypertrophy and HF via alteration of myofilament properties and sarcoplasmic reticulum function. bwolska@uic.edu
