Our work focuses on the function of heart muscle in health and disease. On the more fundamental side, we are studying how cardiac muscle cells respond to mechanical loading - how varying conditions shape their size and behavior. These questions are important for understanding how the heart develops and will also aid scientists as they seek to grow mature cardiac cells for applications in regenerative medicine. In terms of disease, we are actively exploring the detailed causes of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and inherited heart condition that leads to elevated risk of heart failure and sudden death. We have developed a method for creating human engineered heart tissue from patient-specific stem cell lines, allowing us to measure very precisely the physiological effects of mutations on muscle performance. These unique data are allowing us to understand in greater detail the mechanisms of disease, with the goal of generating effective treatments
Favorite Off-Time Activity
I enjoy spending time with my family, playing the guitar occasionally, and dabbling in carpentry.
Best Advice for Young Innovators
The path to successful innovation may involve genius, study, or serendipity, but in every case requires an enormous amount of persistence. Never give up on a good idea.
