Cardiology Research

Research projects in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center include the following:

Clinical Research

  • The Division participates as a sub-site for the Yale University Center of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored Pediatric Cardiac Genetics Consortium. This international consortium will enroll thousands of patients and their families in the "Congenital Heart Disease Genetic Network Study (CHD Genes)," a multicenter, prospective observational study designed to investigate relationships between genetic factors and phenotypic and clinical outcomes of patients with congenital heart disease.
  • Evaluation of clinical outcomes after pediatric surgical and catheter intervention procedures
  • Noninvasive evaluation of cardiac structure and function in patients with congenital and acquired heart disease
  • Exercise evaluation of patients with congenital and acquired cardiovascular disease
  • Evaluation of vascular function in patients with risk factors for atherosclerotic disease

Basic Science

  • Dr. George Porter’s laboratory studies early heart development. The goal of these studies is to understand the basic mechanisms that control the development of the heart and the differentiation of cardiac myocytes. Active areas include understanding the role of bioenergetics and mitochondrial biology and intracellular calcium signaling in the early heart. This work is relevant to the generation of congenital heart defects and to the development of cardiomyopathies.
    Funded by: American Heart Association, Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation, National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  • In conjunction with the Porter laboratory, the laboratory of Dr. Shey-Shing Sheu in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology is investigating the role of the ryanodine receptor type 2 in regulating cardiac mitochondrial calcium levels and mitochondrial function.