Cardiovascular Diseases & Diagnosis

Lori A Walker

Lori A Walker
Deptartment of Cardiology
University of Colorado, USA

Biography

My research efforts are focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of heart failure, a complex, multifactorial syndrome characterized by both cardiac and systemic disturbances. Heart failure is a leading cause of death and disability in Western society, affecting more than 5 million Americans. It is clear from our recent work that an insult – whether environmental or genetic – triggers a multitude of changes at the cellular level that ultimately result in organ level dysfunction. My laboratory utilizes a number of unique models in order to address the mechanism of cardiac dysfunction including a mouse myocardial infarction model and transgenic mouse models of progressive heart failure. Additionally, our collaborative efforts allow us to study a large animal (bovine) model of right heart dysfunction and collaborations with the surgeons at the University of Colorado Hospital provide access to human heart samples – allowing elucidation of relevant pathways in human cardiac tissue.

Research Interest

Proteomic changes in heart failure; Energetic consequences of heart disease; Sex-specific proteomic changes with disease; Protein phosphorylation