The Center for Molecular and Cellular Signal Transduction in the Cardiovascular System
About the Center
The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) was awarded an $11 million, five-year Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant to advance research on the molecular and cellular signals that regulate the cardiovascular system. The award supports the Center for Molecular and Cellular Signal Transduction in the Cardiovascular System, Nevada’s first basic science center focused on cardiovascular research.
Led by Robert Harvey, Ph.D., the center brings together investigators, shared research cores and administrative support to strengthen cardiovascular research capacity, foster collaboration and support investigator development at UNR Med.
Center Cores
The Center is organized into three integrated cores that provide administrative support, specialized research services and shared resources. Together, these cores support multidisciplinary cardiovascular research and investigator development at UNR Med.
Core A - Administration
Core A provides administrative support for the Center, helping coordinate day-to-day operations and support project leaders as they develop their research programs.
Administrative team:
- Robert Harvey, Ph.D., Director
- Jacque Hill
- Paloma Davidson, M.A.
- Kambree Takekuma
Core B — Transgenic Animal Genotyping and Phenotyping
Core B provides specialized services and technical support for cardiovascular, metabolic, behavioral and transgenic animal research.
The core offers genotyping and colony management, physiological monitoring, metabolic and behavioral assessment, body composition analysis and digital droplet PCR.
Core C — High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Imaging
Core C provides advanced microscopy, imaging, analysis and sample preparation resources to support research on cellular structure, signaling pathways and function in health and disease.
The core offers access to a range of high-resolution imaging technologies and specialized research equipment.
Explore Core C imaging resources
Current Project Leaders
These investigators lead current research projects supported by the Center, contributing to new discoveries in cardiovascular and related biomedical science.
Andreia Nunes, Ph.D.
Nunes leads the Nunes Lab, which is focused on identifying potential treatments for muscular dystrophies by investigating the role of macrophages in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
Nathan Grainger, Ph.D.
Grainger leads the Grainger Lab, which investigates how the autonomic nervous system regulates blood vessels, the energy demands of sinoatrial nodal cells, and how disruptions in energy production and vascular regulation contribute to heart failure.
Graduated Project Leaders
- Cam Ha Tran, Ph.D. — leader of the Tran Lab, which studies the neurovascular system in health and disease to identify potential targets for diagnosing and treating conditions such as stroke and dementia.
- Albert Gonzales, Ph.D. — leader of the Gonzales Lab, which studies how capillary microcirculation senses and responds to tissue demands and environmental changes, as well as the mechanisms that regulate this process in health and disease.
- Elizabeth Akin, Ph.D. — leader of the Akin Lab, which focuses on neurocardiology and how pathological activation of sympathetic neurons contributes to cardiovascular disease.
- Lai Wen, Ph.D. — leader of the Wen Lab, which studies how cells communicate with their surroundings and adhere to neighboring cells through specialized surface molecules, particularly in inflammation and cancer.
- Mitch Omar, Ph.D. — leader of the Omar Lab, which investigates the molecular events and regulatory mechanisms involved in stress hormone production by the adrenal glands, as well as how protein kinase A regulation affects tumor growth and neuronal function.