Research Faculty
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.
Marcelo Bonini, PhD - Assistant Professor of Medicine; Nitric oxide is a fundamental signal molecule involved in the regulation of a myriad of pathophysiological processes and, through its derived reactive species, in damage to cells and tissues. Recent years have seen a rapid accumulation of data regarding the fundamental roles that nitric oxide plays functioning to regulate blood vessel tone through its interaction with the enzyme guanylyl cyclase. Nevertheless, key issues regarding nitric oxide production and its interaction with target downstream effectors are poorly understood what limits our ability to intervene in the course of cardiovascular dysfunction, hypertension, atherosclerosis and likely immune disorders such as systemic inflammatory response and sepsis. Our laboratory is interested in contributing to the understanding of the role of enzyme components of the nitric oxide signaling cascade and oxidative stress in the regulation of agonist-dependent vasodilation, and the role of signal transduction pathways involved in the hypotensive effects of nitroglycerin. We use diverse biochemical and biophysical techniques which include immunochemical-based approaches, confocal and electron microscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, HPLC, PCR, genetically modified organisms (cells and knockout animals), fluorescence and UV/Visible spectrometry to identify the role of nitric oxide synthases, phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome 10 (PTEN), PI3k and Akt/PKB in the biological effects elicited by nitroglycerin and agonist-dependent vasodilation under a variety of physiological and inflammatory conditions. mbonini@uic.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.
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.
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
