Briefly, research in my laboratory involves areas of cardiovascular pathophysiology and chronic adaptive responses of the heart and vasculature to stress (i.e., chronic coronary occlusion, exercise training). Currently, specific projects and ongoing research projects include evaluation of:

1. Effects of chronic coronary occlusion and collateral development on function of coronary vascular smooth muscle and coronary endothelium, with a specific focus on cellular mechanisms underlying altered vascular responsiveness and vascular remodeling;
2. Effects of chronic exercise training on vascular smooth muscle and endothelial function of coronary vasculature isolated from a porcine model of coronary artery disease;
3. Mechanisms of impaired endothelial function and altered nitric oxide production during experimental sepsis and endotoxemia;
4. Mechanisms of altered smooth muscle contractile mechanisms during experimental endotoxemia;
5. Mechanisms of altered myocardial contraction during experimental sepsis and endotoxemia.

We use a variety of models in these studies, including porcine and canine models of coronary occlusion and collateral development, porcine exercise training model, rodent and small animal models of sepsis and endotoxemia, cultured and freshly dispersed smooth muscle and endothelial cells, isolated arteries and microvessels, and isolated cardiac muscle preparations. A variety of techniques and experimental approaches are used to address our objectives, including: assessment of contractile properties and vascular function; evaluation of intracellular calcium handling (fura-2 microflurometry); measures of nitric oxide (chemiluminesence) and other vasoactive mediators using ELISA methods; and, with our collaborators, molecular approaches to identify underlying changes responsible for altered mediators and mechanisms in our pathophysiological models.