Van Eyk Lab

The Van Eyk research lab studies the underlying molecular mechanism of heart disease.

We use a wide variety of proteomic strategies that allow us to screen and characterize protein changes within the large number of subproteomes that comprise the cell. Animal models and human tissue or serum samples from acute and chronic heart disease are analyzed using large number of different protein/peptide separation methods coupled to mass spectrometry.

The goal is to identify the proteins and their isoform or post translational modifications that collectively produce the dysfunction that characterizes the disease phenotype. Coupling the detailed proteomic analysis with bioinformatics, cellular modeling and functional analysis allows us to piece together the complexity and the dynamics of the system. On the practical side, this information can provide leads for the development of therapeutics as well as identify potential biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis and risk stratification of heart disease.