Clinical Cardiology/Clinical Cardiovascular Research
Training Program
Clinical Cardiovascular Research Training Program: The Program Faculty
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Wake Forest University Medical School has a long history of support for both clinical and research training. This is best evidenced by the steady increase in research activity at the Wake Forest University Medical School. The ranking of the WFUSM among U.S. medical schools for NIH research funding, measured in direct costs, has risen from 69th out of 126 schools in 1977 to 34th out of 125 schools in 2003. The Wake Forest University School of Medicine received $109.8 million for research from the NIH in 2002. This ongoing success is a direct result of an active program by the administration and faculty of the medical school to continually embrace new technologies and research opportunities. The Medical School's successful and continuously evolving research programs provides a strong and dynamic setting for pre- and postdoctoral training.
For information about the Wake Forest University School of Medicine:
http://www.wfubmc.edu/
The Clinical CV Research Training Faculty
The Clinical CV Research Training program is directed by Dr. David M. Herrington, MD, MHS, Professor of Medicine/Cardiology, Associate Professor in Public Health Sciences and Associate Director of the Center for Human Genomics. He has been actively involved in clinical trials and cardiovascular epidemiology with a focus on heart disease in women, the cardiovascular effects of estrogen and the pharmacogenetics of estrogen action. He is currently involved in genome-wide association studies searching for genetic variants associated with early and extensive subclinical atherosclerosis.
The Clinical CV Research Training program relies on a multi-disciplinary collaboration of faculty members from the Departments of Medicine/Cardiology, Public Health Sciences, Surgical Sciences, Physiology and Pharmacology and Biochemistry. Dr. Herrington is joined by the following program faculty:
Greg Burke, MD, MSc, Professor and Chair, Public Health Sciences - chronic disease research in populations especially cardiovascular disease.
Deborah Meyers, PhD, Professor, Pediatrics, Co-Director, Human Genomics Center, Section Head, Section on Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics - gene mapping in common complex diseases as well as in Mendelian disorders, gene identification in several respiratory disorders including allergic conditions, asthma and COPD.
Donald W. Bowden, MD, Professor of Biochemistry and Internal Medicine/ Endocrinology & Metabolism, Associate Director, Center for Human Genomics - a wide range of human genetic studies of both single gene disorders: cystic fibrosis, multiple endocrine neoplasia, retinitis pigmentosa, and maturity onset diabetes of the young, and complex diseases: Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, recurrent otitis media, end stage renal disease, diabetic nephropathy, and diabetic cardiovascular disease.
David C. Sane, MD, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine/ Cardiology - the role of extracellular matrix proteins, integrin receptors, and the protein stabilizing enzyme transglutaminase in vascular disease,expressed wild type and mutant forms of the ECM protein vitronectin , mechanisms of action of platelet inhibitors and the effect of platelet receptor polymorphisms on platelet function, mechanisms of action of the angiogenesis inhibitor angiostatin.
Dalane Kitzman, MD, Associate Professor, Medicine/Cardiology and Director of Echocardiography - aging of the heart, exercise physiology, diastolic dysfunction, heart failure, and echocardiography.
Lynne E. Wagenknecht, Dr. PH, Professor and Section Head, Section on Epidemiology, Department of Public Health Sciences - a chronic disease epidemiologist with an extensive research portfolio in the areas of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Eugene Bleecker, MD , Professor and Section Head of Internal Medicine/Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Co-Director of the Center for Human Genomics- inflammatory mechanisms in airways diseases, epidemiologic studies and clinical trials, respiratory as well as cardiovascular physiology in animal models and man.
K. Bridget Brosnihan, PhD, Professor of Surgical Sciences-General / Hypertension and Vascular Disease Center and Physiology & Pharmacology-assays of angiotensin system hormones and enzymes ,measurements of inflammatory markers, cytokines, and growth factors.
David Busija, PhD, Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology- the mechanisms of vascular dysfunction that occur in the cerebral circulation as a result of diet-induced insulin resistance, the role of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels (mitoKATP) in the protection of brain cells against anoxic conditions and the role of oxygen free radicals derived from the cyclooxygenase system and mitochondrial in promoting neuronal injury during ischemic conditions.
John R. Crouse, III, MD, FAHA, Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences - nutrition and metabolic risk factors for atherosclerosis and on non-invasive imaging of vascular disease, and consequences of vascular disease.