Department of Medicine Research Interests

Identification of novel biomarkers to predict heart disease, stroke, heart failure and diabetes; molecular and cellular mechanisms of cardiac injury and repair; molecular mechanisms of arterial thrombosis, identification of genes regulating lipid metabolism and pharmacologic approaches to treat dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis and obesity, clinical trials for treatment of heart failure, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, arrhythmias and acute coronary syndromes.

Basic and translational research in the biology and physiology of diabetes (including novel gene therapy approaches to the treatment of type I diabetes) and diabetic complications; clinical and molecular characterization of ketosis-prone diabetes; physiology of adipogenesis and energy metabolism.

Cancer epidemiology (molecular, genetic, and viral/immunoprevention/infectious disease); nutritional epidemiology/obesity research; pharmacogenomics; cancer control and screening; survivorship and outcome research; community-based research in high-risk and minority/underserved populations.

Epidemiology (classical, molecular, genetic, and clinical) and outcomes of Barrett’s esophagus, viral hepatitis, fatty liver, cirrhosis, cancer (liver, pancreas, colon, esophagus and stomach), colorectal polyps and gut microbiome; pathogenesis, clinical outcomes, and treatment of Heliobacter pylori; clinical trials in Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, hepatitis C and hepatitis B; improving processes and outcomes of care related to chronic liver disease and inflammatory bowel disease; testing new models of delivering health care and performance measures for cirrhosis and inflammatory bowel disease; and basic research in gastrointestinal stem cells, organoids and tissue engineering.

Physician and patient behavior in hypertension control; ethical issues and development of policy related to human genome sequencing and “personalized medicine”; environmental health; and obesity prevention.

Pathogenesis of allergic, Th17, autoimmune, and fibrotic lung diseases; health care outcomes of arthritis and arthritis therapy; molecular control of mitosis and cytokine signaling; vaccination against substances of abuse.

Pathophysiology of the aging cardiovascular system; analysis of decision-making by elderly individuals; prevention and detection of delirium, wound care, testosterone replacement, systems of care.

Improving quality, effectiveness and safety of health care through patient-centered communication and coordination, targeting this continuum of health care, from epidemiology and patient experience, to clinical practice and outcomes of care, to the development of health care policy, including optimal use of the EMR; health care economics, comparative effectiveness research, psychometrics and survey design.

Basic, translational, clinical, epidemiological, and prevention research targeted to breast cancer; development of novel cell- and gene-based immunotherapies of multiple cancers; stem cell biology and cell signaling; clinical trials research; molecular pathophysiology of castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Molecular pathogenesis and drug development focusing on Stat3 and substance P; HIV/AIDS health services and clinical research (including factors influencing compliance with HIV care); pathophysiology of diarrheal diseases focusing on norovirus and C. difficile diarrhea; nosocomial pathogens on prosthetic devices; vaccine research development focusing on respiratory pathogens.

Molecular mechanisms of muscle wasting in uremia and other catabolic conditions; pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy; cytokine-induced kidney disease; inflammatory mechanisms of glomerulonephritis; and strategies for treating progressive chronic kidney diseases

Basic inflammatory and immune pathophysiology of asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases; clinical investigation focused on improved therapies for ARDS, pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis, COPD, TB, and asthma.