The Charles Wiener Lab primarily conducts research on pulmonary circulation and hypoxia as well... as respiratory muscle function in patients with neuromuscular diseases. Our recent studies have included investigating the treatment of pericardial effusions in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and examining the use of non-invasive ventilation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We also have an interest in medical education research. Our work in this area has included reviewing the role of academic medical centers in emerging health care markets. view more

Research in the Edgar Miller Lab focuses on nutrition, hypertension and kidney disease. Current... projects include a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute study on dietary carbohydrate and glycemic index effects on markers of oxidative stress, inflammation and kidney function; and a National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases randomized controlled trial that examines the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on urine protein excretion in diabetic kidney disease. view more

Work in the Hsin-Chieh Yeh Lab focuses on clinical trials and cohort studies of diabetes, obesi...ty and behavioral intervention, cancer and hypertension. Recent investigations have focused on novel risk factors and complications related to obesity and type 2 diabetes, particularly lung function, smoking and cancer. We recently co-led a randomized clinical trial of tailored dietary advice for consumption of dietary supplements to lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular disease risk factors in hypertensive urban African Americans. view more

Our work is focused on the translational human in vivo and ex vivo assessments of right ventric...ular (RV) function in the setting of pulmonary hypertension.

Among patients with group I pulmonary arterial hypertension PAH, those with systemic-sclerosis-associated PAH (SSc-PAH) have a particularly poor prognosis and less optimal response to PAH-guided therapy. Using in vivo pressure-volume catheterization of the right ventricle, we have uncovered key deficiencies in resting and reserve RV function in the SSc-PAH group when compared to idiopathic PAH (IPAH) patients. These studies have uncovered key discoveries with regards to right ventricular-pulmonary arterial (RV-PA) coupling in PAH. In the lab, by studying myofilament function from RV endomyocardial biopsies from these same patients, we have uncovered corresponding deficiencies in myofilament contractility and calcium sensitivity as well. Ongoing work is directed towards determining the underlying mechanism of these findings, which will hopefully lead to therapeutic applications for RV failure in SSc-PAH.

Further endeavors are directed towards studying RV failure in other populations, including exercise-induced PH, PH secondary to left-heart disease, and the left ventricular assist device population. view more

Research in the J. Hunter Young Lab focuses on the genetic epidemiology and physiology of cardi...ovascular disease and its risk factors, especially hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Current activities include an observational study of hypertension among African Americans; a genetic epidemiology study of worldwide cardiovascular disease susceptibility patterns; and several population-based observational studies of cardiovascular and renal disease. A recent focus group study found that changes in housing and city policies might lead to improved environmental health conditions for public housing residents. view more

Research in the James Sham Lab focuses on pulmonary arteries. Studies include local calcium sig...naling in the pulmonary arteries and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells. We’re also interested in calcium regulation in chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. view more

Basic science investigations span an array of inquiries, such as understanding the basic mechan...isms underlying cardiac dyssynchrony and resynchronization in the failing heart, and beneficial influences of nitric oxide/cGMP/protein kinase G and cGMP-targeted phosphdiesterase signaling cascades on cardiac maladaptive stress remodeling. Recently, the latter has particularly focused on the role of phosphodiesterase type 5 and its pharmacologic inhibitors (e.g. sildenafi, Viagra®), on myocyte signaling cascades modulated by protein kinase G, and on the nitric oxide synthase dysregulation coupled with oxidant stress.

The lab also conducts clinical research and is presently exploring new treatments for heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction, studying ventricular-arterial interaction and its role in adverse heart-vessel coupling in left heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, and testing new drug, device, and cell therapies for heart disease. A major theme has been with the use of advanced non-invasive and invasive catheterization-based methods to assess cardiac mechanics in patients.asive and invasive catheterization-based methods to assess cardiac mechanics in patients.

David Kass, MD, is currently the Director at the Johns Hopkins Center for Molecular Cardiobiology and a professor in cellular and molecular medicine. view more

The Kathryn Carson Lab investigates ways to improve medical research, particularly in the areas... of brain and thyroid cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension, HIV and lupus. Our team seeks to help researchers optimize their studies through better study design, protocol and grant writing, data cleaning and analysis, and publication writing. We work with investigators from a wide range of departments through the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. view more

Research in the Larissa Shimoda Lab focuses on several important topics within pulmonary and cr...itical care medicine. We primarily study pulmonary arterial responses to chronic hypoxia as well as hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and oxidant-mediated lung injury. Our recent research has included investigating the effects of chronic hypoxia on pulmonary circulation and the ways in which hypoxia-inducible factors impact pulmonary vascular responses to hypoxia. We have also studied vascular remodeling in patients with pulmonary hypertension. view more

The Li Gao Lab researches functional genomics, molecular genetics and epigenetics of complex ca...rdiopulmonary and allergic diseases, with a focus on translational research applying fundamental genetic insight into the clinical setting. Current research includes implementation of high-throughput technologies in the fields of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), massively parallel sequencing, gene expression analysis, epigenetic mapping and integrative genomics in ongoing research of complex lung diseases and allergic diseases including asthma, atopic dermatitis (AD), pulmonary arterial hypertension, COPD, sepsis and acute lung injury/ARDS; and epigenetic contributions to pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with systemic sclerosis. view more

The Lisa Cooper Lab is dedicated to researching patient-centered interventions for improving he...alth outcomes and overcoming racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Our primary focus is on the factors of physician communication skills and cultural competence training, patient shared decision-making and self-management skills training. Recently, we have explored patient-centered depression care for African Americans, tactics for improving patient-physician communication about management of hypertension, and reducing ethnic and social disparities in health. In addition, we are currently researching racial disparities in cardiovascular health outcomes for patients living in Baltimore. view more

Hypertension in children is a major cause of disease, including early onset heart disease. Up t...o 25% of children who are overweight or obese have hypertension (high blood pressure), and children with obesity are at greater risk for having other cardiovascular disease risk factors such as high cholesterol and diabetes. The ReNEW Clinic at The Johns Hopkins University provides an innovative multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation and treatment of obesity-related hypertension to help prevent and treat cardiovascular disease. This clinic is designed for children with elevated blood pressure (prehypertension and hypertension) and a BMI at or above the 85th percentile. Many children in this clinic are enrolled in a longitudinal registry to help researchers learn how to better care for children with multiple risk factors for heart disease.

Read more about the ReNEW clinic: hypertension">Childhood Obesity: A Focus on Hypertension

The Paul M. Hassoun Lab leads research on the source and treatment of pulmonary arterial hypert...ension in scleroderma. view more

Allen Everett, M.D., and his colleagues are identifying new biomarkers — measurable, physical s...igns — to help in identifying pediatric heart disease. Everett is the program leader at Johns Hopkins in pediatric biomarker discovery, initially in sickle cell disease and subsequently in other pediatric clinical conditions (birth injury, congenital heart disease repair, ECMO, prematurity and pulmonary hypertension). view more

Work in the Rachel Damico Lab explores topics within the fields of vascular biology and pulmona...ry medicine, with a focus on acute lung injury and apoptosis in lung diseases. Our studies have included examining idiopathic and scleroderma-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension, vascular receptor autoantibodies, and the link between inflammation and the Warburg phenomenon in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. We have also researched the inhibitory factor of macrophage migration and its governing of endothelial cell sensitivity to LPS-induced apoptosis. view more

Research in the Romsai Boonyasai Lab focuses on systems-based approaches for improving health c...are quality, including reducing harm during care transitions after hospital discharge and improving outcomes related to hypertension and other chronic diseases. We recently have focused on developing and evaluating practice-based tools for improving the accuracy of blood pressure measurement, overcoming clinical inertia to treatment, and engaging patients in self-management of their health. view more

The Stephen Mathai Lab focuses its research on pulmonary medicine. We're particularly intereste...d in scleroderma-associated pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary complications of connective tissue disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. view more

Dr. Paul A. Welling and his research team explore the genetic and molecular underpinnings of el...ectrolyte physiology, potassium balance disorders, hypertension and kidney disease. A major thrust of current research activity is devoted to understanding how faulty genes and environmental stresses drive hypertension. The research is providing new insights into how the Western diet triggers deleterious responses of salt-sensitivity genes. The Welling laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach, spanning from gene discovery, molecular biology, genetically engineered mouse models to translational studies in humans. By illuminating pathophysiological mechanisms and translating the discoveries to develop more effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, Welling’s group is striving to improve the health of at-risk individuals and patients with kidney disease and hypertension.



Dr. Welling is the Joseph S. and Esther Hander Professor of Laboratory Research in Nephrology. He has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for over 25 years. Currently he serves as Coordinator of a Global Research Network, funded by the LeDucq Foundation. More about his research can be found at https://www.wellinglab.com/ view more