The Sarver Heart Center and the Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program bring together leading investigators studying the biological, molecular, and clinical mechanisms of cardiovascular disease. These laboratories span basic discovery, translational science, and clinical innovation aimed at improving the prevention and treatment of heart disease.
Ardehali Lab
Studies iron metabolism and mitochondrial glucose regulation to uncover mechanisms of heart failure, aging, and cellular stress.
Chorba Lab
Studies cholesterol metabolism and LDL receptor regulation to develop new therapeutics and AI-enabled diagnostics for cardiometabolic disease.
Goldman Lab
Develops regenerative therapies for heart failure using stem-cell–derived cardiomyocytes and engineered heart tissue.
Liang Lab
Integrates genomics, regulatory RNA, and cellular metabolism to understand hypertension and cardiovascular and kidney disease.
Romanoski Lab
Studies how DNA sequence and gene regulation shape endothelial cell biology and contribute to diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension.
Sadek Lab
Investigates cardiomyocyte regeneration and molecular pathways that could enable the heart to repair itself after injury.
Szweda Lab
Studies how diet and aging alter cardiac and mitochondrial metabolism, redox balance, and insulin resistance in cardiovascular disease.
Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program (MCRP)
The Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program (MCRP) at the University of Arizona brings together investigators studying the molecular, genetic, and biophysical mechanisms that drive cardiovascular disease. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, the program integrates basic science, translational research, and advanced technologies to understand heart and muscle biology and to develop new therapies for cardiovascular disorders.
Churko Lab
Uses human stem-cell–derived heart cells to study the molecular causes of cardiovascular disease and develop tools for precision and regenerative medicine.
Colson Lab
Investigates how proteins interact during muscle contraction and how mutations in these systems lead to cardiomyopathy and other muscle disorders.
Granzier Lab
Studies titin and other key muscle proteins to understand how their structure and mechanics influence heart function in health and cardiovascular disease.
Hamilton Lab
Examines how calcium signaling regulates heart rhythm and function, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic strategies for arrhythmias and heart disease.
Harris Lab
Explores how sarcomere proteins control the force and speed of cardiac muscle contraction and how their mutations lead to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Konhilas Lab
Studies how biological sex, metabolism, and environmental factors influence heart disease, exercise adaptation, and cardiovascular health.
Ottenheijm Lab
Investigates the molecular mechanisms that control muscle strength and function, particularly in respiratory muscles affected by disease.
Pappas Lab
Examines how actin thin-filament structures are assembled and regulated in muscle, and how disruptions in this process contribute to inherited myopathies.
Sadayappan Lab
Studies how myosin-binding protein-C regulates heart and skeletal muscle function, aiming to develop new therapies for cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
Tardiff Lab
Uses integrative biophysical approaches to understand how genetic mutations in cardiac thin-filament proteins cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart failure.