19th Annual Scientific Sessions:
Metabolic Modulation of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases: From Mechanisms to Novel Treatment
E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD., is the William S. Adams Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Chair and Executive Medical Director of the Department of Medicine in the David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA Health. He was formerly a Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Chair of the Department of Medicine and Director of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center at the University of Iowa where he held the John B. Stokes III Chair in Diabetes Research and the François M. Abboud Chair in Internal Medicine.
Dr. Abel has had a distinguished career in endocrine and metabolism research. His pioneering work on glucose transport and mitochondrial metabolism in the heart guides his current research interests: molecular mechanisms responsible for cardiovascular complications of diabetes. His laboratory has provided important insights into the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction and aberrant insulin signaling, to heart failure risk in diabetes. Recent work has focused on mitochondrial mechanisms that mediate inter-organ crosstalk that may influence the pathophysiology of insulin resistance and mitochondrial pathways linking metabolism with increased risk for atherothrombosis.
Dr. Abel’s research program has been continually funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1995, and by the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Dr. Abel is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship and mentorship. Most recently, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). He is an elected member of the American Association of Physicians (AAP), the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), National Academy of Medicine (NAM), and the American Clinical and Climatological Association (ACCA). Dr. Abel is a past President of the Endocrine Society and is currently President of the Association of Professors of Medicine (APM).
E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD., is the William S. Adams Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Chair and Executive Medical Director of the Department of Medicine in the David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA Health. He was formerly a Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Chair of the Department of Medicine and Director of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center at the University of Iowa where he held the John B. Stokes III Chair in Diabetes Research and the François M. Abboud Chair in Internal Medicine.
Dr. Abel has had a distinguished career in endocrine and metabolism research. His pioneering work on glucose transport and mitochondrial metabolism in the heart guides his current research interests: molecular mechanisms responsible for cardiovascular complications of diabetes. His laboratory has provided important insights into the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction and aberrant insulin signaling, to heart failure risk in diabetes. Recent work has focused on mitochondrial mechanisms that mediate inter-organ crosstalk that may influence the pathophysiology of insulin resistance and mitochondrial pathways linking metabolism with increased risk for atherothrombosis.
Dr. Abel’s research program has been continually funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1995, and by the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Dr. Abel is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship and mentorship. Most recently, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). He is an elected member of the American Association of Physicians (AAP), the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), National Academy of Medicine (NAM), and the American Clinical and Climatological Association (ACCA). Dr. Abel is a past President of the Endocrine Society and is currently President of the Association of Professors of Medicine (APM).
Dunja graduated from the University of Hull in 2004 with a BSc in Biomedical Science as the recipient of the Faculty of Science Academic Scholarship. She was awarded the University of Hull Frederick Atkinson Prize Scholarship and NHS Renal Research Fund Fellowship for her doctoral studies to examine myocardial insulin resistance in chronic kidney disease. In 2008, Dunja joined the University of Oxford and in 2013, she moved to King’s College London, as senior research fellow. In 2017 Dunja was appointed Lecturer in Physiology at Queen Mary University of London. In 2020, she joined William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London as the British Heart Foundation Accelerator Award Fellow. In 2021 she was awarded the Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship. Her research aims to determine how metabolic remodelling contributes to the pathophysiology of heart failure and from this develop novel therapies targeting metabolism. To investigate these research areas, she developed techniques which integrate physiology with NMR spectroscopy (23Na, 31P, 13C, 1H) that enable assessment of cardiac metabolism in situ. Work in her laboratory is funded by Diabetes UK, British Heart Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Bart’s Charity and industrial partners.
Dunja graduated from the University of Hull in 2004 with a BSc in Biomedical Science as the recipient of the Faculty of Science Academic Scholarship. She was awarded the University of Hull Frederick Atkinson Prize Scholarship and NHS Renal Research Fund Fellowship for her doctoral studies to examine myocardial insulin resistance in chronic kidney disease. In 2008, Dunja joined the University of Oxford and in 2013, she moved to King’s College London, as senior research fellow. In 2017 Dunja was appointed Lecturer in Physiology at Queen Mary University of London. In 2020, she joined William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London as the British Heart Foundation Accelerator Award Fellow. In 2021 she was awarded the Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship. Her research aims to determine how metabolic remodelling contributes to the pathophysiology of heart failure and from this develop novel therapies targeting metabolism. To investigate these research areas, she developed techniques which integrate physiology with NMR spectroscopy (23Na, 31P, 13C, 1H) that enable assessment of cardiac metabolism in situ. Work in her laboratory is funded by Diabetes UK, British Heart Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Bart’s Charity and industrial partners.
Zoltan (Zolt) Arany, MD, PhD is the Samuel Bellet Professor of Cardiology and Director of the Cardiovascular Metabolism Program at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Arany graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harvard College. He received his Medical Degree from Harvard Medical School and his doctoral degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. After his doctoral studies, Dr. Arany completed internal medicine residency training at the Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by fellowship training in Cardiology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and post-doctoral research fellowship at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston. He joined the University of Pennsylvania in 2014.
Dr. Arany’s laboratory focuses on the mechanisms that underlie metabolic pathophysiology in the cardiovascular system. He focuses on linking investigations of cardiac and vascular physiology in model organisms to clinical data and observations, and taking a multidisciplinary approach, spanning from molecular biology and numerous ‘omic approaches to model organisms and human clinical studies. Recent focus in Dr. Arany’s laboratory has included the metabolic changes that underlie human heart failure, the role of the vasculature in the development of diabetes, and maternal cardiac disease during and after pregnancy. Dr. Arany is also an active clinical cardiologist, teacher, and mentor, and the current Chair of the Cellular Biology Physiology and Metabolism Graduate Group.
Dr. Arany is a recipient of several awards including the American Heart Association Established Investigator Award in 2012, the Hal Dvorak Young Investigator Award in Translational Research, and the prestigious Inaugural Yale Calabresi Prize in 2014, given to Dr. Arany in recognition for his work on cardiovascular metabolism. He is elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigators, and to the American Association of Physicians. Dr. Arany has published more than 130 research papers in prominent journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, Cell, Science, Circulation, PNAS, Cell Metabolism, Nature Metabolism, etc. Dr. Arany is regularly invited to speak nationally and internationally on his basic and translational research in cardiovascular metabolism. He has also received a number of teaching and mentoring awards.
Zoltan (Zolt) Arany, MD, PhD is the Samuel Bellet Professor of Cardiology and Director of the Cardiovascular Metabolism Program at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Arany graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harvard College. He received his Medical Degree from Harvard Medical School and his doctoral degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. After his doctoral studies, Dr. Arany completed internal medicine residency training at the Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by fellowship training in Cardiology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and post-doctoral research fellowship at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston. He joined the University of Pennsylvania in 2014.
Dr. Arany’s laboratory focuses on the mechanisms that underlie metabolic pathophysiology in the cardiovascular system. He focuses on linking investigations of cardiac and vascular physiology in model organisms to clinical data and observations, and taking a multidisciplinary approach, spanning from molecular biology and numerous ‘omic approaches to model organisms and human clinical studies. Recent focus in Dr. Arany’s laboratory has included the metabolic changes that underlie human heart failure, the role of the vasculature in the development of diabetes, and maternal cardiac disease during and after pregnancy. Dr. Arany is also an active clinical cardiologist, teacher, and mentor, and the current Chair of the Cellular Biology Physiology and Metabolism Graduate Group.
Dr. Arany is a recipient of several awards including the American Heart Association Established Investigator Award in 2012, the Hal Dvorak Young Investigator Award in Translational Research, and the prestigious Inaugural Yale Calabresi Prize in 2014, given to Dr. Arany in recognition for his work on cardiovascular metabolism. He is elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigators, and to the American Association of Physicians. Dr. Arany has published more than 130 research papers in prominent journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, Cell, Science, Circulation, PNAS, Cell Metabolism, Nature Metabolism, etc. Dr. Arany is regularly invited to speak nationally and internationally on his basic and translational research in cardiovascular metabolism. He has also received a number of teaching and mentoring awards.
Heiko Bugger received his MD degree and Doctor of Medicine at the University of Freiburg and is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Intensive Care Medicine. He has been recruited to the Medical University of Graz in 2018 and has specialized in interventional cardiology. He completed a research fellowship at Yale University in 2002 and a 4-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Utah with E. Dale Abel (2005-2009). He heads his independent research group focussing on the regulation of energy metabolism in the diabetic heart and heart failure. In 2021, he was promoted full professor, is head of clinical and basic research in the Department of Cardiology at the Medical University of Graz, and published more than 80 scientific articles thus far (H-Index 32). He received several research awards (Ludwig-Heilmeyer-Award 2012, Research Award of Austrian Diabetes Society 2020, etc.), grants (German Research Foundation, AustrianScience Fund), chaired the working group “Myocardial function and energetics” of the German Cardiac Society, and serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals and research institutions (European Research Council, European Society of Cardiology, etc.).
Heiko Bugger received his MD degree and Doctor of Medicine at the University of Freiburg and is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Intensive Care Medicine. He has been recruited to the Medical University of Graz in 2018 and has specialized in interventional cardiology. He completed a research fellowship at Yale University in 2002 and a 4-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Utah with E. Dale Abel (2005-2009). He heads his independent research group focussing on the regulation of energy metabolism in the diabetic heart and heart failure. In 2021, he was promoted full professor, is head of clinical and basic research in the Department of Cardiology at the Medical University of Graz, and published more than 80 scientific articles thus far (H-Index 32). He received several research awards (Ludwig-Heilmeyer-Award 2012, Research Award of Austrian Diabetes Society 2020, etc.), grants (German Research Foundation, AustrianScience Fund), chaired the working group “Myocardial function and energetics” of the German Cardiac Society, and serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals and research institutions (European Research Council, European Society of Cardiology, etc.).
My research program is committed to uncovering the mechanisms driving disease pathogenesis at its root metabolic origins. Trained clinically as an adult cardiologist, through research training I was an architect/phenotypic analyst of novel genetic mouse models that exhibit complex metabolic dysfunction, which allowed my colleagues and I to reveal diverse and fundamental mechanisms of metabolic regulation and fuel metabolism. For 14 years, my independent research program has examined the metabolic origins of disease often through the lens of ketone bodies, using novel germline and tissue-specific genetic mouse models to study developmental and physiological roles of ketone metabolism. Our program develops and deploys –omics-based chemical profiling technologies along the spectrum spanning magnetic resonance spectroscopy to mass spectrometry, developing home-grown expertise in analytical chemistry and chemical informatics. Together, the tools and approaches used in the lab offer unique windows into nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), obesity/metabolic syndrome, diabetes, the metabolic adaptations in myocardial disease, and recently, tumor biology. These intersectional disease domains and analytical pipelines are studied using mouse models, microtissue organoids, and human participant trials. Our lab is the home of outstanding faculty, postdoctoral fellows, PhD and MD/PhD thesis students, and staff scientists, working in a team-based science approach through close collaborations with discovery and translational scientists.
My research program is committed to uncovering the mechanisms driving disease pathogenesis at its root metabolic origins. Trained clinically as an adult cardiologist, through research training I was an architect/phenotypic analyst of novel genetic mouse models that exhibit complex metabolic dysfunction, which allowed my colleagues and I to reveal diverse and fundamental mechanisms of metabolic regulation and fuel metabolism. For 14 years, my independent research program has examined the metabolic origins of disease often through the lens of ketone bodies, using novel germline and tissue-specific genetic mouse models to study developmental and physiological roles of ketone metabolism. Our program develops and deploys –omics-based chemical profiling technologies along the spectrum spanning magnetic resonance spectroscopy to mass spectrometry, developing home-grown expertise in analytical chemistry and chemical informatics. Together, the tools and approaches used in the lab offer unique windows into nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), obesity/metabolic syndrome, diabetes, the metabolic adaptations in myocardial disease, and recently, tumor biology. These intersectional disease domains and analytical pipelines are studied using mouse models, microtissue organoids, and human participant trials. Our lab is the home of outstanding faculty, postdoctoral fellows, PhD and MD/PhD thesis students, and staff scientists, working in a team-based science approach through close collaborations with discovery and translational scientists.
Dr. Jason Dyck is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, a Canada Research Chair in Molecular Medicine, and the Director of the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the University of Alberta. He is also the co-director of the Alberta HEART, which is a province-wide program aimed at understanding and treating heart failure. Dr. Dyck has a broad area of research that are linked by his interest in energy metabolism. He has published over 250 peer-review papers in his career and is currently funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Diabetes Canada, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Alberta Innovates.
Dr. Jason Dyck is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, a Canada Research Chair in Molecular Medicine, and the Director of the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the University of Alberta. He is also the co-director of the Alberta HEART, which is a province-wide program aimed at understanding and treating heart failure. Dr. Dyck has a broad area of research that are linked by his interest in energy metabolism. He has published over 250 peer-review papers in his career and is currently funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Diabetes Canada, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Alberta Innovates.
Dr. John Elrod is the Director of the Cardiovascular Research Center in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. Dr. Elrod leads a multidisciplinary research lab working in the fields of mitochondrial biology, metabolism, fibrosis, and cell death in the context of cardiac injury, heart failure, and neurodegeneration. The lab has made several discoveries in the field of mitochondrial biology, including defining the signaling pathways that regulate energy production to match cardiac workload and how these pathways can turn maladaptive in heart disease. Characterization of various mitochondrial calcium exchangers has resulted in numerous high-impact publications including a seminal study published in the journal Nature. Other breakthroughs include defining how changes in metabolism are directly linked to epigenetic regulation of cellular differentiation in the context of fibrosis and putting forth a new hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis, which is being interrogated for new therapies. Dr. Elrod has published over 90 peer-reviewed manuscripts and was recently honored as a Fellow of the International Society of Heart Research for his scientific accomplishments. He has mentored numerous trainees, all of which have garnered competitive fellowships and awards. He sits on the editorial board of several prestigious journals and is actively involved in leadership roles in the AHA and ISHR.
Dr. John Elrod is the Director of the Cardiovascular Research Center in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. Dr. Elrod leads a multidisciplinary research lab working in the fields of mitochondrial biology, metabolism, fibrosis, and cell death in the context of cardiac injury, heart failure, and neurodegeneration. The lab has made several discoveries in the field of mitochondrial biology, including defining the signaling pathways that regulate energy production to match cardiac workload and how these pathways can turn maladaptive in heart disease. Characterization of various mitochondrial calcium exchangers has resulted in numerous high-impact publications including a seminal study published in the journal Nature. Other breakthroughs include defining how changes in metabolism are directly linked to epigenetic regulation of cellular differentiation in the context of fibrosis and putting forth a new hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis, which is being interrogated for new therapies. Dr. Elrod has published over 90 peer-reviewed manuscripts and was recently honored as a Fellow of the International Society of Heart Research for his scientific accomplishments. He has mentored numerous trainees, all of which have garnered competitive fellowships and awards. He sits on the editorial board of several prestigious journals and is actively involved in leadership roles in the AHA and ISHR.
Jan Glatz (1955) is Emeritus Professor of Cardiac Metabolism at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Until 2021 he has been chair of the Department of Genetics & Cell Biology (Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences) and deputy-chair of the Department of Clinical Genetics (Maastricht University Medical Center+).
After receiving his PhD degree in metabolic biochemistry (Nijmegen, 1984), he joined Maastricht University to study lipid metabolism in the healthy and diseased heart. Together with his team he has disclosed pivotal roles for cytoplasmic FABP and for transmembrane protein CD36 (SR-B2) in myocardial lipid utilization in the healthy heart and during cardiac disease development, especially in case of diabetic cardiomopathy. His current scientific interests are (i) the regulation of energy metabolism, in particular substrate preference, in the healthy and diseased heart, (ii) the application of CD36 as target for metabolic modulation therapy, and (iii) the application of iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes for the functional characterization of genetic variants of unknown significance.
Dr. Glatz is (co)author of >400 publications which received >20,000 citations. He has organized the 5th annual SHVM conference in Maastricht in 2007, and, together with Coert Zuurbier, the 17th SHVM conference in Amsterdam in 2019.
Jan Glatz (1955) is Emeritus Professor of Cardiac Metabolism at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Until 2021 he has been chair of the Department of Genetics & Cell Biology (Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences) and deputy-chair of the Department of Clinical Genetics (Maastricht University Medical Center+).
After receiving his PhD degree in metabolic biochemistry (Nijmegen, 1984), he joined Maastricht University to study lipid metabolism in the healthy and diseased heart. Together with his team he has disclosed pivotal roles for cytoplasmic FABP and for transmembrane protein CD36 (SR-B2) in myocardial lipid utilization in the healthy heart and during cardiac disease development, especially in case of diabetic cardiomopathy. His current scientific interests are (i) the regulation of energy metabolism, in particular substrate preference, in the healthy and diseased heart, (ii) the application of CD36 as target for metabolic modulation therapy, and (iii) the application of iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes for the functional characterization of genetic variants of unknown significance.
Dr. Glatz is (co)author of >400 publications which received >20,000 citations. He has organized the 5th annual SHVM conference in Maastricht in 2007, and, together with Coert Zuurbier, the 17th SHVM conference in Amsterdam in 2019.
Dan Kelly is the Willard and Rhoda Ware Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Presidential Professor at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). He trained in Medicine and Cardiology at Barnes Hospital, then joined the faculty of Washington University School of Medicine where he served as Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Chief of the Cardiovascular Division, and the founding Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Research. In 2008, Dr. Kelly assumed the role of founding Scientific Director for the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in Florida followed by his recruitment in 2017 to serve as Director of the Penn Cardiovascular Institute. In 2022, Dr. Kelly assumed the role of founding Director of the CHOP CVI.
Dr. Kelly’s research interests stem from an early fascination with rare inborn errors in energy metabolism that cause childhood sudden death and heart failure. He defined the genetic basis for a common inborn error in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, work that led to the development of practical newborn screening tests. Thereafter, he became interested in how transcriptional re-programming of cardiac fuel and energy metabolism contributes to acquired forms of heart failure in adults. The Kelly laboratory has recently identified several candidate therapeutic targets to re-balance mitochondrial metabolism in heart failure.
Dr. Kelly served as an Associate Editor for The Journal of Clinical Investigation and is currently on many Editorial Boards. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (Council, 2002-05), the American Association of Physicians (president, 2022), and is a recipient of the AHA Distinguished Achievement Award and Basic Research Prize.
Dan Kelly is the Willard and Rhoda Ware Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Presidential Professor at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). He trained in Medicine and Cardiology at Barnes Hospital, then joined the faculty of Washington University School of Medicine where he served as Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Chief of the Cardiovascular Division, and the founding Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Research. In 2008, Dr. Kelly assumed the role of founding Scientific Director for the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in Florida followed by his recruitment in 2017 to serve as Director of the Penn Cardiovascular Institute. In 2022, Dr. Kelly assumed the role of founding Director of the CHOP CVI.
Dr. Kelly’s research interests stem from an early fascination with rare inborn errors in energy metabolism that cause childhood sudden death and heart failure. He defined the genetic basis for a common inborn error in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, work that led to the development of practical newborn screening tests. Thereafter, he became interested in how transcriptional re-programming of cardiac fuel and energy metabolism contributes to acquired forms of heart failure in adults. The Kelly laboratory has recently identified several candidate therapeutic targets to re-balance mitochondrial metabolism in heart failure.
Dr. Kelly served as an Associate Editor for The Journal of Clinical Investigation and is currently on many Editorial Boards. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (Council, 2002-05), the American Association of Physicians (president, 2022), and is a recipient of the AHA Distinguished Achievement Award and Basic Research Prize.
Dr. Jeong-Min Kim is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Seoul National University Hospital. He completed his stroke and neuroscience fellowship in 2013 at Seoul National University Hospital. He has experienced various stroke phenotypes including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, moyamoya disease, cancer-related stroke, arterial dissection, cerebral venous thrombosis, and other cerebrovascular diseases such as arteriovenous fistula or aneurysm. He has a research interest in acute stroke patient care, atherosclerosis, vascular dementia, and stroke prevention.
Dr. Jeong-Min Kim is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Seoul National University Hospital. He completed his stroke and neuroscience fellowship in 2013 at Seoul National University Hospital. He has experienced various stroke phenotypes including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, moyamoya disease, cancer-related stroke, arterial dissection, cerebral venous thrombosis, and other cerebrovascular diseases such as arteriovenous fistula or aneurysm. He has a research interest in acute stroke patient care, atherosclerosis, vascular dementia, and stroke prevention.
Dr. Pilhan Kim is an Associate Professor of Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering (GSMSE) at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). He received B.S. and Ph. D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea, in 2000 and 2005, respectively. From 2005 to 2010, he worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital with the cross-disciplinary postdoctoral fellowship of Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP). At 2010, he joined KAIST as a tenure-track faculty and was appointed as a tenured Associate Professor at 2018. His main research interest is the development of advanced state-of-arts in vivo cellular imaging technology based on a custom-built real-time laser-scanning intravital confocal and two-photon microscopy. Utilizing the image system, his group have achieved a systemic cellular-level visualization of various preclinical animal model to investigate the complex pathophysiology of human diseases and develop novel therapeutics.
http://ivmvl.kaist.ac.kr
Dr. Pilhan Kim is an Associate Professor of Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering (GSMSE) at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). He received B.S. and Ph. D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea, in 2000 and 2005, respectively. From 2005 to 2010, he worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital with the cross-disciplinary postdoctoral fellowship of Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP). At 2010, he joined KAIST as a tenure-track faculty and was appointed as a tenured Associate Professor at 2018. His main research interest is the development of advanced state-of-arts in vivo cellular imaging technology based on a custom-built real-time laser-scanning intravital confocal and two-photon microscopy. Utilizing the image system, his group have achieved a systemic cellular-level visualization of various preclinical animal model to investigate the complex pathophysiology of human diseases and develop novel therapeutics.
http://ivmvl.kaist.ac.kr
Dr. Sung Joon Kim (MD, PhD, Korea) graduated Seoul National University College of Medicine (SNUCM) and conducted PhD research at the same university (1997). After finishing research fellowship program at Freiburg University (Germany), he experienced assistant professor at Sungkyunkwan University (Korea), and became associate and full professor at SNUCM. His research interest starts from smooth muscle physiology, reaching to cardiovascular physiology, especially pulmonary arterial hypertension with right heart disease. Also, he focus to the electrophysiology of novel ion channels in epithelial cells and lymphocytes. He published more than 170 peer-reviewed papers in various scientific journals including J Physiol (Lond), J Gen Physiol, J Biol Chem, J Immunol, Basic Res Cardiol, ATVB, etc. He is currently serving as the full-time Director (program manager) of the Division of Medical Sciences in National Research Foundation of Korea.
Dr. Sung Joon Kim (MD, PhD, Korea) graduated Seoul National University College of Medicine (SNUCM) and conducted PhD research at the same university (1997). After finishing research fellowship program at Freiburg University (Germany), he experienced assistant professor at Sungkyunkwan University (Korea), and became associate and full professor at SNUCM. His research interest starts from smooth muscle physiology, reaching to cardiovascular physiology, especially pulmonary arterial hypertension with right heart disease. Also, he focus to the electrophysiology of novel ion channels in epithelial cells and lymphocytes. He published more than 170 peer-reviewed papers in various scientific journals including J Physiol (Lond), J Gen Physiol, J Biol Chem, J Immunol, Basic Res Cardiol, ATVB, etc. He is currently serving as the full-time Director (program manager) of the Division of Medical Sciences in National Research Foundation of Korea.
My research career has been dedicated to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms underlying the irreversible transition from a healthy to a failing heart, and ultimately to develop critical preventive techniques as well as novel therapeutics including stem cells, small molecules, and small RNAs.
This has involved using human heart tissues, adult stem cells, and iPSCs-derived cardiac cells for modeling of cardiovascular disease, and has made critical contributions to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the development of the regulation of cardiac repair.
My research career has been dedicated to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms underlying the irreversible transition from a healthy to a failing heart, and ultimately to develop critical preventive techniques as well as novel therapeutics including stem cells, small molecules, and small RNAs.
This has involved using human heart tissues, adult stem cells, and iPSCs-derived cardiac cells for modeling of cardiovascular disease, and has made critical contributions to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the development of the regulation of cardiac repair.
Professor Young-Kook Kim received his doctorate from the research team of Professor V. Narry Kim at Seoul National University for research on the process of microRNA biogenesis. During his degree, he studied the functional relationship between functionally related microRNAs in cancer and discovered microRNA-generating factors involved in the differentiation of stem cells. He also established a genomic engineering library capable of inducing knockouts of microRNAs. Since then, he started his career at Chonnam National University Medical School, where he has been conducting research on the function of non-coding RNA in various diseases. Currently, Professor Kim is mainly conducting research on long non-coding RNA and circular RNA in cardiovascular and nervous system diseases and is particularly interested in intracellular transcriptome analysis. Based on these research results, he has the goal to treat human diseases by targeting non-coding RNAs.
Professor Young-Kook Kim received his doctorate from the research team of Professor V. Narry Kim at Seoul National University for research on the process of microRNA biogenesis. During his degree, he studied the functional relationship between functionally related microRNAs in cancer and discovered microRNA-generating factors involved in the differentiation of stem cells. He also established a genomic engineering library capable of inducing knockouts of microRNAs. Since then, he started his career at Chonnam National University Medical School, where he has been conducting research on the function of non-coding RNA in various diseases. Currently, Professor Kim is mainly conducting research on long non-coding RNA and circular RNA in cardiovascular and nervous system diseases and is particularly interested in intracellular transcriptome analysis. Based on these research results, he has the goal to treat human diseases by targeting non-coding RNAs.
DAE HO LEE, MD, PhD is a Professor at Gachon University Gil Medical Center and Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea and also holds the position of Vice President of Gachon Biomedical Convergence Institute in the hospital.
He received his medical degree and Ph.D from Chonnam National University School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Chonnam National University Hospital. Between 2007 and 2009, he did his postdoctoral research fellowship at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. Now, he is also Director of the Committee of Scientific Affairs in the Korean Diabetic Association.
Firstly, Prof. LEE’s research laboratory focused on insulin signaling, insulin resistance and related pathophysiology in translational and clinical researches. Additionally, Dr. LEE’s studies also included DPP4 and its inhibitor in insulin resistant models and patients with type 2 diabetes. Currently, his research group has focused on NAFLD. He has studied on gene and metabolome profiles in patients with NAFLD and tried to find molecular and imaging biomarkers to detect the progression of NAFLD. MR-based techniques are main parts of noninvasive imaging tools. Thus, Dr. LEE try to set-up diagnostic markers for NASH and advance hepatic fibrosis that are easily applicable to clinics and to find out a new target to treat or prevent NAFLD progression, especially on hepatic fibrosis.
DAE HO LEE, MD, PhD is a Professor at Gachon University Gil Medical Center and Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea and also holds the position of Vice President of Gachon Biomedical Convergence Institute in the hospital.
He received his medical degree and Ph.D from Chonnam National University School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Chonnam National University Hospital. Between 2007 and 2009, he did his postdoctoral research fellowship at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. Now, he is also Director of the Committee of Scientific Affairs in the Korean Diabetic Association.
Firstly, Prof. LEE’s research laboratory focused on insulin signaling, insulin resistance and related pathophysiology in translational and clinical researches. Additionally, Dr. LEE’s studies also included DPP4 and its inhibitor in insulin resistant models and patients with type 2 diabetes. Currently, his research group has focused on NAFLD. He has studied on gene and metabolome profiles in patients with NAFLD and tried to find molecular and imaging biomarkers to detect the progression of NAFLD. MR-based techniques are main parts of noninvasive imaging tools. Thus, Dr. LEE try to set-up diagnostic markers for NASH and advance hepatic fibrosis that are easily applicable to clinics and to find out a new target to treat or prevent NAFLD progression, especially on hepatic fibrosis.
In-kyu Lee is a Professor at Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Korea and also holds the position of Director at the Research Institute of Aging and Metabolism which is embedded within the University.
He received his medical degree and Ph.D from Kyungpook National University School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Dongsan Medical Center. Between 1995 and 1996, he did his postdoctoral research fellowship at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Harvard Medical School, Boston. Later on, he was nominated as the President of the Korean Diabetic Association in 2018.
In the beginning, Prof. Lee’s research laboratory focused on elucidating the diverse abnormalities that regulate PKC activation in diabetic vascular complications. In the later years, Dr. Lee’s studies have moved and expanded to encompass the role of key mitochondrial protein, Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinases, and mitochondrial dysfunction in a variety of mouse models encapsulating and mimicking human disease pathologies. Currently, his research group has a particular focus in understanding the effect of canonical and non-canonical action of different pyruvates dehydrogenase kinases in the context of mitochondrial dynamics and quality control in health and disease. Prof. Lee’s main areas of interest include the role of PDK in basic metabolism and its dysregulation, as well as in developing new PDK inhibitors as a potential therapeutic option.
In-kyu Lee is a Professor at Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Korea and also holds the position of Director at the Research Institute of Aging and Metabolism which is embedded within the University.
He received his medical degree and Ph.D from Kyungpook National University School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Dongsan Medical Center. Between 1995 and 1996, he did his postdoctoral research fellowship at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Harvard Medical School, Boston. Later on, he was nominated as the President of the Korean Diabetic Association in 2018.
In the beginning, Prof. Lee’s research laboratory focused on elucidating the diverse abnormalities that regulate PKC activation in diabetic vascular complications. In the later years, Dr. Lee’s studies have moved and expanded to encompass the role of key mitochondrial protein, Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinases, and mitochondrial dysfunction in a variety of mouse models encapsulating and mimicking human disease pathologies. Currently, his research group has a particular focus in understanding the effect of canonical and non-canonical action of different pyruvates dehydrogenase kinases in the context of mitochondrial dynamics and quality control in health and disease. Prof. Lee’s main areas of interest include the role of PDK in basic metabolism and its dysregulation, as well as in developing new PDK inhibitors as a potential therapeutic option.
As a clinician specialized in endocrinology, my scientific career has largely focused on the study of understanding the roles of dysregulated immune responses and metabolism on aging- and obesity-related diseases including diabetes and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). My major research interests focused on the pathophysiologic mechanism of NASH to explore potential therapeutic candidates for NASH such as GLP-1/GLP-2 receptor dual agonists, recently published in Hepatology. I have primarily focused on elucidating the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages in the liver and human blood. These studies demonstrated that TFEB/AMPK-mediated autophagy induction was an important pathway to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome and multiple metabolites including ketone body, glucose, and insulin could modulate NLRP3 inflammasome activity in human macrophages. In addition, I have been involved in clinical and epidemiologic studies mainly related to sarcopenia, NASH and Metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Currently I am working as an associate professor in Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital.
As a clinician specialized in endocrinology, my scientific career has largely focused on the study of understanding the roles of dysregulated immune responses and metabolism on aging- and obesity-related diseases including diabetes and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). My major research interests focused on the pathophysiologic mechanism of NASH to explore potential therapeutic candidates for NASH such as GLP-1/GLP-2 receptor dual agonists, recently published in Hepatology. I have primarily focused on elucidating the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages in the liver and human blood. These studies demonstrated that TFEB/AMPK-mediated autophagy induction was an important pathway to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome and multiple metabolites including ketone body, glucose, and insulin could modulate NLRP3 inflammasome activity in human macrophages. In addition, I have been involved in clinical and epidemiologic studies mainly related to sarcopenia, NASH and Metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Currently I am working as an associate professor in Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital.
Professor Julie McMullen (PhD) heads the Cardiac Hypertrophy Laboratory at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute (VIC, AUSTRALIA) and is Head of the Discovery & Preclinical Department at the Institute. Her research interests include physiological and pathological cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and cardiotoxicity. Prof McMullen is recognised internationally for research which defined the molecular distinction between physiological and pathological heart growth/cardiac hypertrophy in mouse models of health and disease. She discovered that a signaling pathway activated with exercise (PI3K pathway) was critical for physiological hypertrophy (e.g. athlete’s heart) but not pathological hypertrophy (e.g. setting of hypertension). She has extensive experience in the generation and characterization of exercise trained mouse models, genetic and surgical mouse models of cardiac hypertrophy and failure. She has developed new therapies based on her findings in mouse models including adeno-associated virus (AAV) technology, RNA interference approaches (i.e. LNA anti-miRNA oligonucleotides), small molecules, and lipid-based approaches. She has published in leading journals including PNAS, Circulation, Circ-Heart Failure, Nature Communications, Cell Reports, and Diabetes. She sits on the Editorial Board of Clinical Science and the AJP-Heart & Circulatory Physiology, and is a Fellow of the American Heart Association and International Society for Heart Research.
Professor Julie McMullen (PhD) heads the Cardiac Hypertrophy Laboratory at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute (VIC, AUSTRALIA) and is Head of the Discovery & Preclinical Department at the Institute. Her research interests include physiological and pathological cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and cardiotoxicity. Prof McMullen is recognised internationally for research which defined the molecular distinction between physiological and pathological heart growth/cardiac hypertrophy in mouse models of health and disease. She discovered that a signaling pathway activated with exercise (PI3K pathway) was critical for physiological hypertrophy (e.g. athlete’s heart) but not pathological hypertrophy (e.g. setting of hypertension). She has extensive experience in the generation and characterization of exercise trained mouse models, genetic and surgical mouse models of cardiac hypertrophy and failure. She has developed new therapies based on her findings in mouse models including adeno-associated virus (AAV) technology, RNA interference approaches (i.e. LNA anti-miRNA oligonucleotides), small molecules, and lipid-based approaches. She has published in leading journals including PNAS, Circulation, Circ-Heart Failure, Nature Communications, Cell Reports, and Diabetes. She sits on the Editorial Board of Clinical Science and the AJP-Heart & Circulatory Physiology, and is a Fellow of the American Heart Association and International Society for Heart Research.
Dr. Motohiro Nishida (PhD, Japan) completed the doctoral program at the University of Tokyo (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences) in March 2001. Specializing cardiovascular pharmacology and physiology, he experienced an Assistant Professor at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS) in National Institutes of Natural Sciences, an Associate Professor at Kyushu University, and became a Professor at NIPS from 2013. He also became a cross-appointment Professor at Kyushu University, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences from 2015. He has consistently studied on the signaling mechanism of cardiovascular remodeling, including remarkable achievements published in Nature, 2000; Nature Chem. Biol., 2012; Nature Commun., 2017, 2021; Science Signal., 2018, 2019, 2022. He is also developing a wide range of drug repositioning research that is particularly useful for the treatment of heart failure and mitochondria-related refractory diseases.
Dr. Motohiro Nishida (PhD, Japan) completed the doctoral program at the University of Tokyo (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences) in March 2001. Specializing cardiovascular pharmacology and physiology, he experienced an Assistant Professor at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS) in National Institutes of Natural Sciences, an Associate Professor at Kyushu University, and became a Professor at NIPS from 2013. He also became a cross-appointment Professor at Kyushu University, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences from 2015. He has consistently studied on the signaling mechanism of cardiovascular remodeling, including remarkable achievements published in Nature, 2000; Nature Chem. Biol., 2012; Nature Commun., 2017, 2021; Science Signal., 2018, 2019, 2022. He is also developing a wide range of drug repositioning research that is particularly useful for the treatment of heart failure and mitochondria-related refractory diseases.
My research interest is in single cell biology and epigenomics of human diseases including diabetic kidney disease. In my lab, we explore the molecular mechanisms of diabetic kidney disease development using single cell analysis, genomics technologies, computational analysis as well as conventional molecular biology experiments. Single-cell RNA sequencing is a revolutionary method that monitors global gene expression pattern in thousands of individual cells from a single experiment. This technology can overcome fundamental limitations inherent in measurements of heterogeneous cell population and answer central questions surrounding kidney biology and disease pathogenesis. My publications that relate to single cell analysis of kidney diseases are:
1. Dhillon P, Park J* et al. (2021) The Nuclear Receptor ESRRA Protects from Kidney Disease by Coupling Metabolism and Differentiation. Cell Metab. 2020 Dec. S1550-4131(20)30606-9. (Co-corresponding author)
2. Kim JW, Nam SA, Yi J, Kim JY, Lee JY, Park SY, Sen T, Choi YM, Lee JY, Kim HL, Kim HW, Park J*, Cho DW*, Kim YK* (2022) Kidney Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Enhanced the Vascularization and Maturation of Human Kidney Organoids. Adv Sci. e2103526
3. Park J*, Guan Y*, Sheng X, Gluck C, Seasock MJ, Hakimi AA, Qiu C, Pullman J, Verma A, Li H, Palmer M, Susztak K (2019) Functional methylome analysis of human diabetic kidney disease. JCI Insight. Jun 6;4(11). pii: 128886.
4. Park J*, Shrestha R*, Qiu C, Kondo A, Huang S, Werth M, Li M, Barasch J, Susztak K (2018) Single-cell transcriptomics of the mouse kidney reveals potential cellular targets of kidney disease. Science. May 18;360(6390):758-763.
My research interest is in single cell biology and epigenomics of human diseases including diabetic kidney disease. In my lab, we explore the molecular mechanisms of diabetic kidney disease development using single cell analysis, genomics technologies, computational analysis as well as conventional molecular biology experiments. Single-cell RNA sequencing is a revolutionary method that monitors global gene expression pattern in thousands of individual cells from a single experiment. This technology can overcome fundamental limitations inherent in measurements of heterogeneous cell population and answer central questions surrounding kidney biology and disease pathogenesis. My publications that relate to single cell analysis of kidney diseases are:
1. Dhillon P, Park J* et al. (2021) The Nuclear Receptor ESRRA Protects from Kidney Disease by Coupling Metabolism and Differentiation. Cell Metab. 2020 Dec. S1550-4131(20)30606-9. (Co-corresponding author)
2. Kim JW, Nam SA, Yi J, Kim JY, Lee JY, Park SY, Sen T, Choi YM, Lee JY, Kim HL, Kim HW, Park J*, Cho DW*, Kim YK* (2022) Kidney Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Enhanced the Vascularization and Maturation of Human Kidney Organoids. Adv Sci. e2103526
3. Park J*, Guan Y*, Sheng X, Gluck C, Seasock MJ, Hakimi AA, Qiu C, Pullman J, Verma A, Li H, Palmer M, Susztak K (2019) Functional methylome analysis of human diabetic kidney disease. JCI Insight. Jun 6;4(11). pii: 128886.
4. Park J*, Shrestha R*, Qiu C, Kondo A, Huang S, Werth M, Li M, Barasch J, Susztak K (2018) Single-cell transcriptomics of the mouse kidney reveals potential cellular targets of kidney disease. Science. May 18;360(6390):758-763.
Prof. Kyu-Sang Park, was born in South Korea. He got his medical doctor degree at Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine in 1993 and got his Ph. D. degree at Yonsei University in 1998. He spent 3 years at the Korean National Institute of Health (NIH) for his military service. In 2002, he started his work as an assistant professor at Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine. From 2006 to 2009, he had worked as a visiting professor in the Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism at University of Geneva, Switzerland. Now, he is a full professor in Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine. Since 2017, he is also the director of the National grant-funded Medical Research Center (Mitohormesis Research Center) at Yonsei University.
Prof. Kyu-Sang Park, was born in South Korea. He got his medical doctor degree at Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine in 1993 and got his Ph. D. degree at Yonsei University in 1998. He spent 3 years at the Korean National Institute of Health (NIH) for his military service. In 2002, he started his work as an assistant professor at Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine. From 2006 to 2009, he had worked as a visiting professor in the Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism at University of Geneva, Switzerland. Now, he is a full professor in Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine. Since 2017, he is also the director of the National grant-funded Medical Research Center (Mitohormesis Research Center) at Yonsei University.
Prof. Rebecca Ritchie is a discovery scientist internationally-recognised for her contributions to cardiac pharmacology and physiology. She is Professor and Head of Drug Discovery Biology at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Head of Heart Failure Pharmacology at Monash University in Australia. In addition, she is co-Director of the Drug Discovery and Translation Flagship of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, Membership Secretary of the International Society of Heart Research (ISHR, Australasian section), a Fellow of ISHR and a Member-at-Large of the International ISHR Council. She also serves on the ISHR World Congress Scientific Organising Committee. She is internationally-recognised for translation-focused research targeting heart failure and its causes, particularly with respect to identification of new treatment strategies for arresting the progression of heart failure, in the context of diabetes, myocardial infarction and other inflammatory disorders. These strategies have been both pharmacological and gene delivery-based. The research achievements of Professor Ritchie to date include 137 career publications (spanning both preclinical models of disease and patient studies), continuous peer-reviewed funding since 1999 (comprising project grant and Fellowship support from the NHMRC of Australia, Diabetes Australia, the Foundation for High Blood Pressure Research and the Heart Foundation).
Prof. Rebecca Ritchie is a discovery scientist internationally-recognised for her contributions to cardiac pharmacology and physiology. She is Professor and Head of Drug Discovery Biology at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Head of Heart Failure Pharmacology at Monash University in Australia. In addition, she is co-Director of the Drug Discovery and Translation Flagship of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, Membership Secretary of the International Society of Heart Research (ISHR, Australasian section), a Fellow of ISHR and a Member-at-Large of the International ISHR Council. She also serves on the ISHR World Congress Scientific Organising Committee. She is internationally-recognised for translation-focused research targeting heart failure and its causes, particularly with respect to identification of new treatment strategies for arresting the progression of heart failure, in the context of diabetes, myocardial infarction and other inflammatory disorders. These strategies have been both pharmacological and gene delivery-based. The research achievements of Professor Ritchie to date include 137 career publications (spanning both preclinical models of disease and patient studies), continuous peer-reviewed funding since 1999 (comprising project grant and Fellowship support from the NHMRC of Australia, Diabetes Australia, the Foundation for High Blood Pressure Research and the Heart Foundation).
I have so far focused on establishing next generation therapies for age-related cardiovascular-metabolic disorders including heart failure, atherosclerotic diseases, arrhythmias, obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by targeting the aging signaling. Through series of metabolic studies, I define “Senometabolite” as metabolites that promote aging phenotype. Recently, I also identified a protein increased in circulation with aging, and now classify this as a “Senoprotein”. I define “Senocules” as molecules that contributes for the acceleration of aging processes, and would like to establish the concept “Senocules-induced synchronized aging (sync-aging)”. I am now trying to define two new concepts for diseases; Age-related fibrotic disorders (A-FiD), and Senometabolite Related Disorders (SRDs). I have established two research consortiums (A-FiD or SRD research consortium), and with respective research consortium members, we are now trying to generate new therapies for these disorders (Please also see: https://www.mol-aging.com/).
Representative publications (as a first author)
Nat Med2009, Cell Metab2012, 2013, 2014, Nature Aging 2021, J Clin Invest2010, 2014, Cell Rep2018, Sci Rep2019, 2021, 2021, 2022, JMCC2015, 2016, 2019, iScience 2022.
Representative Award
1. National Academy of Medicine (USA) winner of Catalyst Award 2020
2. Melvin L. Marcus Young Investigator Award in Cardiovascular Sciences. American Heart Association, Scientific Sessions. 2012
I have so far focused on establishing next generation therapies for age-related cardiovascular-metabolic disorders including heart failure, atherosclerotic diseases, arrhythmias, obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by targeting the aging signaling. Through series of metabolic studies, I define “Senometabolite” as metabolites that promote aging phenotype. Recently, I also identified a protein increased in circulation with aging, and now classify this as a “Senoprotein”. I define “Senocules” as molecules that contributes for the acceleration of aging processes, and would like to establish the concept “Senocules-induced synchronized aging (sync-aging)”. I am now trying to define two new concepts for diseases; Age-related fibrotic disorders (A-FiD), and Senometabolite Related Disorders (SRDs). I have established two research consortiums (A-FiD or SRD research consortium), and with respective research consortium members, we are now trying to generate new therapies for these disorders (Please also see: https://www.mol-aging.com/).
Representative publications (as a first author)
Nat Med2009, Cell Metab2012, 2013, 2014, Nature Aging 2021, J Clin Invest2010, 2014, Cell Rep2018, Sci Rep2019, 2021, 2021, 2022, JMCC2015, 2016, 2019, iScience 2022.
Representative Award
1. National Academy of Medicine (USA) winner of Catalyst Award 2020
2. Melvin L. Marcus Young Investigator Award in Cardiovascular Sciences. American Heart Association, Scientific Sessions. 2012
Dr. Tian is professor and director of the interdisciplinary Mitochondria & Metabolism Center at the University of Washington. Her work is recognized in three inter-related areas of cardiovascular diseases: bioenergetics, metabolism, and mitochondrial biology. Dr. Tian’s groundbreaking work on the shift of glucose and fatty acids metabolism in cardiac remodeling, provocative at the time, has now been considered a fundamental element of metabolic reprogramming in heart failure. Dr. Tian is also recognized as a world leader in developing mitochondria-targeted therapy for cardiovascular diseases. Her recent work on NAD metabolism, cellular stress response and inflammation has yielded a major stimulus to the translational research. Under her leadership, University of Washington has conducted the first in human clinical trial of targeting mitochondria NAD in heart failure, which is followed by multiple in-kind trials across the world. She received numerous awards and honors including Distinguished Achievement Award of the American Heart Association Basic Science Council, Research Achievement Award of the International Society for Heart Research, Marshall Distinguished Investigator of the British Society for CV Research, and Berne Lecturer of the American Physiological Society. Dr. Tian gave George E. Brown Lecture at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in 2021. She is currently the Editor in Chief for Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology.
Dr. Tian is professor and director of the interdisciplinary Mitochondria & Metabolism Center at the University of Washington. Her work is recognized in three inter-related areas of cardiovascular diseases: bioenergetics, metabolism, and mitochondrial biology. Dr. Tian’s groundbreaking work on the shift of glucose and fatty acids metabolism in cardiac remodeling, provocative at the time, has now been considered a fundamental element of metabolic reprogramming in heart failure. Dr. Tian is also recognized as a world leader in developing mitochondria-targeted therapy for cardiovascular diseases. Her recent work on NAD metabolism, cellular stress response and inflammation has yielded a major stimulus to the translational research. Under her leadership, University of Washington has conducted the first in human clinical trial of targeting mitochondria NAD in heart failure, which is followed by multiple in-kind trials across the world. She received numerous awards and honors including Distinguished Achievement Award of the American Heart Association Basic Science Council, Research Achievement Award of the International Society for Heart Research, Marshall Distinguished Investigator of the British Society for CV Research, and Berne Lecturer of the American Physiological Society. Dr. Tian gave George E. Brown Lecture at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in 2021. She is currently the Editor in Chief for Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology.
Dan (Amanda) Tong, M.D., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. She received her MD degree from the Tongji Medical College in China and PhD from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She completed internal medicine residency training at the University of Iowa, followed by a fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center, training in cardiovascular disease. As a physician-scientist, her research and clinical interests are focused on cardiovascular conditions that are tightly associated with metabolic diseases, particularly heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). Her laboratory uses a wide variety of molecular biology and electrophysiological techniques to study the molecular mechanisms of HFpEF and AF.
Dan (Amanda) Tong, M.D., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. She received her MD degree from the Tongji Medical College in China and PhD from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She completed internal medicine residency training at the University of Iowa, followed by a fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center, training in cardiovascular disease. As a physician-scientist, her research and clinical interests are focused on cardiovascular conditions that are tightly associated with metabolic diseases, particularly heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). Her laboratory uses a wide variety of molecular biology and electrophysiological techniques to study the molecular mechanisms of HFpEF and AF.
John Ussher carried out his PhD training with Dr. Gary Lopaschuk at the University of Alberta (Sept 2004 – Jan 2010), where he acquired expertise in the molecular regulation of cardiac energy metabolism, with a specific focus on pharmacologically increasing cardiac malonyl CoA content to treat ischemic heart disease. Following his PhD training, John trained with Dr. Daniel Drucker at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at the University of Toronto (Mar 2010 – Oct 2014) to acquire extensive expertise in incretin hormone (e.g. glucagon-like peptide-1) biology and how incretin hormones influence the cardiovascular system. In November 2014, John returned to the University of Alberta with the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, where he is currently a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Pharmacotherapy of Energy Metabolism in Obesity. His lab is primarily interested in elucidating the mechanisms by which obesity perturbs energy metabolism and contributes to the pathophysiology of obesity-related chronic diseases, with a specific focus on muscle insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease. Regarding the latter, his lab continues to investigate novel strategies to stimulate myocardial pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and subsequent glucose oxidation for the treatment of diabetic heart disease.
John Ussher carried out his PhD training with Dr. Gary Lopaschuk at the University of Alberta (Sept 2004 – Jan 2010), where he acquired expertise in the molecular regulation of cardiac energy metabolism, with a specific focus on pharmacologically increasing cardiac malonyl CoA content to treat ischemic heart disease. Following his PhD training, John trained with Dr. Daniel Drucker at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at the University of Toronto (Mar 2010 – Oct 2014) to acquire extensive expertise in incretin hormone (e.g. glucagon-like peptide-1) biology and how incretin hormones influence the cardiovascular system. In November 2014, John returned to the University of Alberta with the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, where he is currently a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Pharmacotherapy of Energy Metabolism in Obesity. His lab is primarily interested in elucidating the mechanisms by which obesity perturbs energy metabolism and contributes to the pathophysiology of obesity-related chronic diseases, with a specific focus on muscle insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease. Regarding the latter, his lab continues to investigate novel strategies to stimulate myocardial pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and subsequent glucose oxidation for the treatment of diabetic heart disease.
Sun-Hee Woo, Ph.D. is a Professor at Chungnam National University College of Pharmacy in Daejeon, South Korea. She received her PhD degree from the Pohang University of Science and Technology in Korea, and did postdoctoral fellowship at Georgetown University Medical Center in USA. During these periods her research was focused on regulations of contractility and intracellular Ca2+ in cardiac myocytes, and on local Ca2+ release mechanisms in atrial myocytes. She did pioneering studies using a fast two dimensional confocal Ca2+ imaging combined with whole-cell patch clamp in atrial myocytes to quantify atrial focal Ca2+ releases in the junctional and nonjunctional compartments, and to demonstrate relationship between Ca2+ influx through the L-type Ca2+ channels and atrial local Ca2+ releases on depolarizations. After she moved to Chungnam National University since 2003 as a faculty member, she has been working on atrial shear stress signaling and discovered a novel shear-induced Ca2+ signaling and its mechanism involving connexin hemichannels and P2 purinergic signaling cascades. Now she continues to work on their pathologic implications in atrial arrhythmogenesis and failure. Her laboratory uses sophisticated physiological techniques such as ultra-fast confocal imaging in intact cardiac cells combined with patch clamp and electrical stimulations, and novel approaches to detect ATP release in real time as well as atrial in vivo disease model and molecular and cellular biological methods.
Sun-Hee Woo, Ph.D. is a Professor at Chungnam National University College of Pharmacy in Daejeon, South Korea. She received her PhD degree from the Pohang University of Science and Technology in Korea, and did postdoctoral fellowship at Georgetown University Medical Center in USA. During these periods her research was focused on regulations of contractility and intracellular Ca2+ in cardiac myocytes, and on local Ca2+ release mechanisms in atrial myocytes. She did pioneering studies using a fast two dimensional confocal Ca2+ imaging combined with whole-cell patch clamp in atrial myocytes to quantify atrial focal Ca2+ releases in the junctional and nonjunctional compartments, and to demonstrate relationship between Ca2+ influx through the L-type Ca2+ channels and atrial local Ca2+ releases on depolarizations. After she moved to Chungnam National University since 2003 as a faculty member, she has been working on atrial shear stress signaling and discovered a novel shear-induced Ca2+ signaling and its mechanism involving connexin hemichannels and P2 purinergic signaling cascades. Now she continues to work on their pathologic implications in atrial arrhythmogenesis and failure. Her laboratory uses sophisticated physiological techniques such as ultra-fast confocal imaging in intact cardiac cells combined with patch clamp and electrical stimulations, and novel approaches to detect ATP release in real time as well as atrial in vivo disease model and molecular and cellular biological methods.
Dr. Jong-Chan Youn is currently an Associate Professor at the Division of Cardiology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea. He graduated from Yonsei University College of Medicine, received a Ph.D. degree at the same college and finished an internship and internal medicine residency at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University. Then he worked as a full-time postdoctoral researcher, focusing on cardiovascular immunology and senescent T cell research in the Immunology Lab at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). He has published a series of articles on senescent T cells on human hypertension, arterial stiffening, myocardial infarction and heart failure. Prof. Youn is the Assistant Editor of ‘Korean Circulation Journal’, the Associate Editor of ‘International Journal of Heart Failure’ and has published more than 50 peer-reviewed SCI journals as a first author or a corresponding author. He is an active member of the Korean Society of Cardiology, the Korean Society of Hypertension, the Korean Society of Heart Failure, the Korean Society of Transplantation and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. He has received research grants as a principal investigator from those academic societies and also from the Korean Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning.
Dr. Jong-Chan Youn is currently an Associate Professor at the Division of Cardiology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea. He graduated from Yonsei University College of Medicine, received a Ph.D. degree at the same college and finished an internship and internal medicine residency at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University. Then he worked as a full-time postdoctoral researcher, focusing on cardiovascular immunology and senescent T cell research in the Immunology Lab at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). He has published a series of articles on senescent T cells on human hypertension, arterial stiffening, myocardial infarction and heart failure. Prof. Youn is the Assistant Editor of ‘Korean Circulation Journal’, the Associate Editor of ‘International Journal of Heart Failure’ and has published more than 50 peer-reviewed SCI journals as a first author or a corresponding author. He is an active member of the Korean Society of Cardiology, the Korean Society of Hypertension, the Korean Society of Heart Failure, the Korean Society of Transplantation and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. He has received research grants as a principal investigator from those academic societies and also from the Korean Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning.