Research: Basic Research
Eric J. Devaney, M.D., Division of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery
Dr. Devaney is a pediatric cardiac surgeon with clinical interests in neonatal cardiac surgery and the surgery of
adults with congenital heart disease. His clinical research involves the use of ventricular assist devices for
the treatment of medically refractory heart failure. In the laboratory, Dr. Devaney collaborates with Dr. Joseph Metzger
in the Department of Physiology on a number of projects investigating the molecular mechanisms of heart failure
and cardiomyopathy. Specifically, Dr. Devaney is studying the the effects of sarcomeric gene mutations on
the development of cardiomyopathy, and the use of therapeutic gene delivery to alter the phenotype of congestive
heart failure.
Mark W. Russell, M.D., Division of Pediatric Cardiology:
Dr. Russell, the Aaron Stern Professor of Pediatric Cardiology, directs a basic research laboratory that focuses on the growth and structural maturation of heart muscle. He established the Thurman O. Armstrong Sr. and Mary E. Armstrong Zebrafish facility which be utilized by multiple investigators studying heart and muscle development. Investigators in the laboratory have identified two novel proteins involved in the structure and organization of heart muscle, one of which was determined to be a cause of abnormal cardiac hypertrophy. Ongoing studies are examining the role of the extracellular environment on cardiac myocyte differentiation. Our long term goal is to direct immature myocytes to become fully functional heart cells that can be used to replace damaged tissue in failing hearts.
Margaret V. Westfall, Ph.D., Division of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery:
Dr. Westfall has
an extremely productive laboratory that has made high-impact contributions in defining the impact of cell signaling
pathways on cardiac muscle function. The goal of her investigations is to target these signaling pathways for the
treatment of congestive heart failure, a common and often fatal disorder characterized by diminished heart function.