Molecular and Cell Biology

Major cell types

• Vascular endothelial cells (EC)
• Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSM)
• Pericytes (PC)
• Cardiac myocytes (CM)
• Cardiac fibroblasts (CF)

Membrane excitability

• Ion channels in vascular endothelium and smooth muscle
• Role of integrins in regulation of ion channel activity
• VEGF and EC membrane excitability

Signal transduction

• G-protein-linked receptors
• Growth factor receptors
• Phosphoinositide signaling cascade
• Calcium signaling
• Nitric oxidesignaling pathway
• Rho and rho-like GTPases
• MAP kinase cascades
• Transcription factorr
• Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases

Gene expression

• Control of gene expression in cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts
• Control of gene expression in vascular endothelium and smooth muscle
• Modulation by growth factors, vasoactive agents and mechanical factors
• Temporal patterns of gene expression
• Interactions of signal transduction and gene expression pathways

Contractility/motility

• Mechanobiology
• Contractility of cardiac myocytes
• Contractility of vascular endothelium, pericytes and smooth muscle
• Motility of endothelial cells and leukocytes

Cell cycle and proliferation

• Growth factors and EC/VSM proliferation
• Mechanical stimulation of EC, VSM and CM

Morphogenesis

• Drysophila model and developmental biology
• Endothelial tube formation
• Endothelial barrier formation and disruption
• Morphogenetic patterns in VSM exposed to chronic distension

Cell recognition

• Ephrins and ephrin receptors

Apoptosis

• Growth factor regulation of programmed cell death

Secretion

• EC production of NO, growth factors, matrix metalloproteases

Adhesion

• Integrins and cell/matrix interactions
• Cadherins and cell/cell interactions
• Leukocyte/endothelium interactions

Technologies

• Cardiovascular cell lines
• Atomic force microscopy
• Confocal and fluorescence microscopy
• Ratio imagining
• Electron microscopy
• Surface plasmon resonance
• Genomics including microarrays and real-time PCR
• Protein and gene transfection
• Drosophila genetics and developmental biology

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