Cardiovascular Pharmacology: Open Access

Rajasekaran Namakkal Soorappan

Rajasekaran Namakkal Soorappan
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine
University of Utah-School of Medicine, Utah, USA

Biography

Dr. Rajasekaran is an Assistant Professor at University of Utah, USA. He did his PhD from University of Madras Biochemistry and post doctorate from University of Utah.

Research Interest

My laboratory is interested in understanding the transcriptional mechanisms for Reductive Stress (RS) in the heart. Nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is the master transcription factor that regulates numerous (over 100) genes, which code for key antioxidant enzymes. Turning ON or OFF the Nrf2 at will can exert desired effects in the intracellular redox milieu and/or redox signaling to regulate redox sensitive cardio-protective proteins. Investigating the cause-and-effect relationships between the oxidative and reductive conditions in the myocardium will allow us to understand the critical signals that result in physiological and/or pathological consequences leading to the development of cardiac diseases including cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest. The goal is to define the redox signaling mechanisms in cardiovascular pathophysiology and to develop potential therapeutic measures.
• Nrf2 dependent transcriptional mechanisms for reductive stress in cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyopathy.
• Developing novel Reductive Stress in vivo (animal) and in vitro (cell) models.
• Identification of potential mutations in Keap1 and Nrf2 genes in the population and studying their impact on reductive stress cardiomyopathy.
• Nrf2 signaling based interventions (physical and drug) to improve clinical conditions associated with oxido-reductive stress in the heart.