Roberta A. Gottlieb, M.D.

Research

Our research is focused on developing ways to protect the heart after ischemia and reperfusion. We use a range of approaches including cell biology, organ physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology to understand the intracellular processes that determine whether the cardiac cells will survive and repair, or undergo programmed cell death through apoptosis or necrosis. We use the heart as our primary model organ but conduct many studies in cell lines or primary cell culture, using fluorescence microscopy to monitor intracellular processes in real-time in living cells. Our current projects are focused on: 1) Rescue and Role of Complex I in Myocardial Ischemic Injury 2) Subcellular Regulation of Autophagy 3) Mitochondria and Stem Cells in Anthracycline-Induced Heart Failure 4) Development of Small-Molecular Cardioprotective Agents for Treatment of Reperfusion Injury and 5) Microbial Basis of Cardiovascular Disease.