Penn Cardiovascular Institute Research Directory

Description of CVI Expertise

Director, Minimally Invasive and Robotic Cardiac Surgery Program

CVI Program Unit(s):
Cardiovascular Development / Congenital Heart Disease
Myocyte Biology / Heart Failure

CVI Research Description:
• Molecular/Cellular/Genetic therapies for heart failure and myocardial ischemia.
• Endothelial progenitor cell mobilization and chemokinesis to ischemic myocardium.
• Induction of cardiomyocyte cell cycle re-entry for myocardial regeneration.

Dr. Woo's laboratory is currently focused upon developing novel genetic, molecular, and cellular strategies for treating myocardial ischemia and heart failure. These projects are theoretically designed on software platforms, developed in cells, and studied in small and large animal surgical models.

The laboratory is supported by the Department and currently funded via grants from the National Institute of Health, Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education, and American Heart Association. Lab personnel include Joe Woo as the principal investigator, 1-2 surgical residents as post-doctoral research fellows, 2 research technicians and several undergraduate and medical students.

A key resource of the Woo lab is its close collaboration with the laboratory of H. Lee Sweeney, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Physiology at Penn, who runs a very large molecular and cellular laboratory with abundant, available facilities and expertise.