Antonis Hatzopoulos
Department of Medicine
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology (CDB)
Human Genetics Program (HGEN)
Vanderbilt Center for Stem Cell Biology (VCSCB)
Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education (VIIBRE)
Vanderbilt Brain Institute (VBI)
Vanderbilt Genetics Institute (VGI)
My laboratory studies molecular and cellular mechanisms of cardiac tissue repair after myocardial infarction and in diabetic cardiomyopathy. At the cellular level, we investigate the role of endothelial and cardiovascular stem cells in tissue repair and regeneration. At the molecular level, we focus on the role of BMP signaling in inflammation after injury and in the growth and differentiation of various adult stem cell populations.
Our laboratory is interested in the mechanisms that regulate the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to specific cardiovascular cell types. In the adult heart, we study heart tissue repair after acute ischemic injury or during diabetic cardiomyopathy. We mainly focus on the role of BMP and Wnt signaling pathways in inflammation, angiogenesis, fibrosis and heart muscle regeneration.
Keywords: Pluripotent stem cells , Heart attack , Diabetic cardiomyopathy , cardiac regeneration , BMP signaling , Wnt signaling , Myocardial infarction , Tissue repair and regeneration
Research Area: Diabetes, Obesity, Metabolism , Stem Cell Biology & Regeneration , Cardiovascular Biology , Cell Signaling , Developmental Biology , Computational and Systems Biology , Genomics , Vascular Biology