Description of CVI Expertise

Chair, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Senior Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, Department of Medicine

CVI Program Unit(s):
Myocyte Biology / Heart Failure

CVI Research Description:
Our laboratory conducts integrative studies of cardiac function and myocardial metabolism using conscious chronically instrumented animal models.

Our principal interests are in the areas of cellular insulin resistance and the identification of alternative means for stimulating myocardial glucose uptake.These studies have implications for both the understanding of diabetes, but also bear on the concepts associated with altered myocardial energetics in heart failure.

We seek collaboration with cellular and molecular biologists to understand transcriptional control of these events and with investigators focusing on mitochondrial function.

The work has led to the clinical application of a series of novel incretins as cardioprotective agents. These incretins are currently in human trials.