Research in the Peter Abadir Lab focuses on the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), a signaling pathway that regulates blood pressure and has been linked independently to both aging and inflammation. We’re particularly interested in changes in RAS that occur with aging. We also study signal transduction and the role of the crosstalk between angiotensin II receptor in aging and are interested in understanding the function of angiotensin II in the process of vascular aging.

Dr. Williams' research focuses on platelet physiology particularly as it relates to acute coronary syndromes and depression. Her laboratory specifically examines platelet aggregation, flow cytometric analysis to measure platelet activation, platelet luminescence as a measure of the platelet release reaction, many Elisa preparations in order to measure platelet function, platelet genotyping to determine the presence of certain platelet polymorphisms, and various other assays to distinguish mechanisms of platelet dysfunction. The goal for her cardiovascular platelet laboratory is to identify the etiology of platelet dysfunction in many disease states and apply methods that may improve this dysfunction that can eventually be translated to therapies for patients with cardiovascular disease. Scientific techniques performed in the lab include: flow cytometric analysis, platelet microparticle identification, and protein immunoprecipitation among other techniques.

The Allan Gelber Lab conducts research on the clinical epidemiology of rheumatic disorders. Our recent studies have explored topics that include the predicting factors of prevalent and incident gout; cardiovascular disease burden and risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis; autoantibodies in both primary and secondary SjogrenÕs syndrome; and predictors of outcomes in patients with scleroderma. In addition, we have a long-standing interest in the ways in which racial differences affect disease manifestations in relation to rheumatic disorders.

Researchers in the Adam Sapirstein Lab focus on the roles played by phospholipases A2 and their lipid metabolites in brain injury. Using in vivo and in vitro models of stroke and excitotoxicity, the team is examining the roles of the cytosolic, Group V, and Group X PLA2s as well as the function of PLA2s in cerebrovascular regulation. Investigators have discovered that cPLA2 is necessary for the early electrophysiologic changes that happen in hippocampal CA1 neurons after exposure to N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA). This finding has critical ramifications in terms of the possible uses of selective cPLA2 inhibitors after acute neurologic injuries.