Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence

COBRE – Basic Cardiovascular Research

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) was awarded an $11 million, five-year grant by the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) to study the molecular and cellular signals that regulate the cardiovascular system. The Center for Molecular and Cellular Signal Transduction in the Cardiovascular System is the first cardiovascular basic science-focused center in Nevada. This prestigious $11 million award will allow UNR Med’s researchers to make ground-breaking developments in cardiovascular research.

Innovative research projects advancing cardiovascular and neurological health

  • Project 1 – Bradley Ferguson, Ph.D.
    Project 1 aims to identify the mechanisms that control cardio-metabolic diseases and develop therapy options for patients with heart failure.
  • Project 2 – Haifeng Zheng, Ph.D.
    Project 2 focuses on the mechanisms that regulate cardiac pacemaker activity and heart rate to develop therapeutic targets for pacemaker deficiencies.
  • Project 3 – Shailesh Agarwal, Ph.D.
    Project 3 studies the nanoscale cell signaling in heart muscle cells to better understand the cardiovascular system and develop therapeutic approaches to treating heart diseases.
  • Project 4 – Cam Ha Tran, Ph.D.
    Project 4 explores how different signaling pathways are integrated to regulate blood flow to the brain for the development of novel treatments for neurological disorders.
  • Project 5 – Albert Gonzales, Ph.D.
    Project 5 focuses on understanding the effects of amyloid-β, a major component of amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
  • Project 6 – Elizabeth Akin, Ph.D.
    Project 6 proposes the use of high-resolution, single-molecule imaging techniques to investigate the dynamic regulation of sympathetic neurons on a molecular level.
  • Project 7 – Lai Wen, Ph.D.
    Project 7 expects to offer key insights into cell adhesion mechanisms and facilitate the development of novel drugs targeting inflammation.
  • Project 8 – Nathan Grainger, Ph.D.
    Project 8 will investigate how blood flow to different regions of the sinoatrial node is regulated and how this blood flow can be affected by exercise and heart disease.