Ph.D., Cell & Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, 2021
B.S., Biology, Madonna University, 2017
Cardiac hypertrophy, or heart muscle growth, occurs in response to increased functional demands, such as with chronic endurance exercise or pregnancy. In this physiological hypertrophy, removal of the stimulus (i.e., cessation of exercise, post-pregnancy) initiates regression of the heart back to normal size. Notably, cardiac hypertrophy is also a leading risk factor for the development of heart failure. However, in this pathological setting, cardiac remodeling is not reversible. My project is focused on discerning the molecular mechanisms of physiological hypertrophy regression, with the hope of identifying potential therapeutic targets for reversing the pathological remodeling that occurs in heart failure.