Research Description

The Prosser Lab – developing new therapies for the heart and brain.
(Simple, right?)

Our lab interrogates the forces of the heart – the mechanisms that control how a heart cell generates force, and how force itself feeds back to regulate cell function and form. We leverage cellular biophysics and engineering, super-resolution imaging and cardiology to tackle the fundamental challenges of the mechanobiology of the heart. Our goal is to provide transformative insight into how the heart beats, and to inform new therapies for the treatment of heart disease.

The diagnosis of Dr. Prosser’s daughter with STXBP1 encephalopathy also spurred the generation of a new therapeutic arm in the lab for neurological applications. We are developing novel, antisense oligonucleotide based therapies for the treatment of inherited neurodevelopmental disorders, such as those caused by mutations in STXBP1.

Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives

• Mentor and Lecturer, Penn SUIP and PREP programs
• Host of Workshop in Cell Biology for STEM undergrads from underrepresented communities
• Member, Admissions committee for Cell Biology, Physiology and Metabolism (CPM) graduate group, which facilitates recruitment of diversity trainees.