COCVD

COCVD INTERNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) assists in the recruitment of new faculty and fellows to the COCVD and contributes to the peer review of pilot project studies. IAC members are Dr. Louis B. Hersh, Dr. David Moliterno, Dr. Michael Reid and Dr. William Balke.

IAC MEMBERS

Dr. Louis B. Hersh is the George Schwert Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Hersh also serves as the Senior Associate Dean for Basic Science Affairs in the College of Medicine, and advises the Dean in all aspects related to the basic science departments. After more than 20 years at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Dr. Hersh joined the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as Professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and Director of the Center for Structural Biology. He has more than 30 years of experience in running an externally funded research program including the training of 18 graduate students and more than 40 postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Hersh is currently PI on two NIH grants, one from NIDA and the other from NIA, which have been continuously funded for more than 25 and 20 years, respectively. He is also PI on a COBRE grant on the Molecular Basis of Human Disease, and as such, can interface with the COCVD in faculty recruits. In addition, Dr. Hersh’s role as Associate Dean for Basic Science Affairs will facilitate recruitment of faculty and junior investigators to the COCVD.

David Moliterno, M.D. is the Chief of Cardiology in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Moliterno is the Jefferson M. Gill Professor of Cardiology, the Vice-Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, and the Medical Director of the Gill Heart Institute at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Moliterno is an interventional cardiologist, with a nationally prominent research program focused on anti-platelet agents in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes. Dr. Moliterno has published >150 papers with clinical trial results that directly relate to coronary artery disease, cardiac arrhythmias, and thrombolysis. Through his role as Chief of Cardiology, Dr. Moliterno has trained many residents and fellows, and is well suited to provide input to the COCVD investigators and to assist in translating findings to clinical practice. In addition, Dr. Moliterno has been actively recruiting physicians and physician scientists to the Division of Cardiology, and will interface with the Program Director in recruitment of investigators with interests in obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Michael Reid is the Chair of the Department of Physiology at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Reid is a skeletal muscle physiologist, focusing on reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cytokines and their effects on skeletal muscle function. His research program branches into both the cardiovascular area, with studies on skeletal muscle inflammation in heart failure, to diabetes, examining the effects of muscle-derived reactive oxygen species as regulators of glucose uptake. Thus, he is well suited to interact with the investigators of the COCVD. In addition, Dr. Reid has been actively recruiting faculty to the Department of Physiology, and will liaison with the Principal Investigator in recruitment of additional junior investigators with research interests in obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Dr. William Balke, M.D. is Professor of Medicine, and Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine. Dr. Balke is a cardiologist, with a research program studying the role of individual ions, especially calcium, as second messengers in the regulation of cellular processes relevant to cardiovascular function. Current research interests include the investigation of cellular/molecular mechanisms of excitation-contraction-coupling in normal and diseased (hypertension, heart failure) cardiac atrial and ventricular cells from animal and human hearts. The research interests of Dr. Balke, as well as his leadership role in supervising clinical research at the University of Kentucky, assist in the translation of research by the junior investigators. In addition, Dr. Balke is an invaluable resource to the physician scientists of COCVD, and assists in recruiting additional faculty (both mentors and junior investigators) to the COCVD.