Research Initiatives

LIPID Metabolites And Pathways Strategy

Major goals of this program include: a) Separate and detect all of the lipids in a specific cell and discover and characterize any novel lipids that may be present, b) Quantitate each of the lipid metabolites present and quantitate the changes in their levels and location during cellular function and c)Define the biochemical pathways for each lipid and develop lipid maps which define the interaction networks.

Superfund Basic Research Program

The central goal of this program is to implement modern scientific approaches to identify and characterize genomic stress responses elicited by waterborne pollutants found at Superfund sites. The program is comprised of nine research projects (seven biomedical, two non-biomedical), and three research support cores (DNA microarray technology, macromolecular analysis, and mouse genetics and phenotyping). Administrative, outreach and training cores are also included.

Pharmagenomics

The goal of pharmacogenomics research is to move beyond the "one-size-fits-all" approach to drug therapy and allow the development of individualized treatment plans based on genetic profiles. Using genetic indicators, physicians and pharmacists can determine in advance which drugs will work best for specific individuals and which are more likely to cause harmful side effects, and prescribe the most effective therapies.

Genetics of Hypertension PPG

The central goal of this program is the study of genetic and receptor mechanisms in hypertension. We use functional genomics and other approaches to identify genetic loci responsible for the following traits: (a) genetic hypertension and associated target organ damage; (b) mechanisms and central nervous system sites important in sensori-autonomic coupling; and (c) deleterious effects of stress on the cardiovascular system.