Sept. 18: Jewish Heritage Fund for Grant Awardees Presentations

 Can't attend in person? Here is a Zoom link.

Jewish Heritage Fund Research Grant Awardee Presentations Wednesday, September 18th, 3pm – 4pm, K4KCTRB Room 101/102 and hybrid.

3:00 – 3:05 opening remarks by Dr. J. Christopher States

3:05 – 3:20 Helen Collins, PhD

Title: :Metabolic Adaptations in the Maternal Heart Summary: Maternal mortality rates in the US are amongst some of the highest in the world, making pregnancy in the US dangerous. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in pregnant women and during the postpartum period. Understanding the factors that contribute to maternal cardiovascular disease is of the utmost importance, given the findings that maternal cardiovascular disease can shape the life course of women's cardiovascular health. However, before we can study the impact of maternal cardiovascular disease, we need a greater understanding of the fundamental adaptations that occur with healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies. Work in the Collins lab, which the JHF initially funded through a faculty start-up and research enhancement award and now by an NIH-funded R01, focuses on examining the gamete of metabolic changes that occur in the context of pregnancy-associated cardiac growth. These studies will lay the foundation for the future examination of pregnancy-associated risk factors and disease states to ultimately provide insights that may help facilitate a reduction in maternal mortality. 5 minute Q&A

3:25 – 3:40 Daniel Conklin, PhD

Title: Contribution of TRPA1 and Hypertension to the Cardiovascular Effects of Short-term Exposure to Particulate Matter Air Pollution Summary: Air pollution is ubiquitous, and exposure to air pollution is associated with 200,000 excessive deaths yearly in the U.S., of which the majority (60–80%) is due to cardiovascular disease. Although air pollution is typically higher in urban centers, unique sources of air pollution including particulate matter (PM) and gases (volatile organic compounds) can occur anywhere. One such phenomenon was observed in the past few years when widespread wildfires throughout North America contributed to increased air pollution both locally but also at distant locations. Additionally, rurally located industrial sources of air pollution can disproportionally contribute to local air pollution, as witnessed by the hemp processing plant located in western Kentucky. They demonstrate that air pollution is a health issue everywhere including in Kentuckiana and regionally. We will use Louisville’s air pollution to perform controlled exposures to better understand the ways that air pollution influences cardiovascular health. Ultimately, we want to better protect the health of members of our regional community and worldwide, with special emphasis on those who already have pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure –the most important modifiable risk factor of cardiovascular disease in the world. 5 minute Q&A

3:45-4:00 Bradford Hill, PhD

Title: Metabolic mechanisms of myocardial hyperemia and implications for the aging heart Summary: Advanced age is the leading risk factor for all chronic diseases. It is associated with a host of genetic, immunologic, and physiologic changes that contribute to progressive tissue dysfunction and an increased risk of mortality. Although many hallmarks of aging have been identified, a key physiological feature of aging is decreased tissue perfusion and an inability to match perfusion to the metabolic requirements of organ function. The impacts of such deficits in perfusion are more pronounced in tissues with high oxygen demand; hence, due to its high energy demand, the heart is particularly vulnerable to perfusion deficits. Acute increases in myocardial demand, such as those due to increased physical activity, are met by an increase in perfusion (i.e., hyperemia). This increase in myocardial perfusion is triggered by metabolic signals that evoke coronary vasodilation. However, it remains unclear how cardiac metabolism influences metabolic hyperemia and how aging impacts such mechanisms. This project (PIs: Hill and Nystoriak) was initially supported by JHF and is now supported by NIH funding. Our overall goal is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying metabolic hyperemia in the heart and will address how hyperemic responses are blunted in the aging heart, with the hope of providing new insights that could be leveraged to prolong cardiovascular health and function over the lifespan. 5 minute Q&A