This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)
0854153 Warnock
Heart valve disease is the third most common form of cardiovascular disease and has shown a steady rise in incidence over the past 20 years. The only option currently available to treat this condition is open-heart surgery. Therefore, there is a critical need to understand the mechanisms of disease initiation and progression to aid in the development of alternative therapies. The aim of this study is to further the fundamental knowledge of the aortic valve endothelium and ascertain how cyclic strain can instigate valvular pathogenesis. This will be one of the first studies to examine the relationship between cyclic strain and endothelial activation. Other research has focused primarily on the role of shear stress. To accomplish the objective, an ex vivo biaxial strain bioreactor will be developed that can subject aortic valve tissue to simulated physiological and pathological strains. The first goal will be to use the bioreactor integrated with a confocal microscope to characterize endothelial morphology, and cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. The second goal is to identify signaling pathways that are activated in endothelial cells following an increase in cyclic strain. This will be done using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (2-D LC MS2) combined with computational biology.
Mississippi has the highest incidence of heart disease and obesity in the U.S. Effective disease prevention can only be made possible through public education. To this end, the Mississippi State University (MSU) student based organization, Bulldogs for Heart Health (BH2), was formed with the mission to improve heart health throughout the state; student members of BH2 visit schools and educate students and parents about the state's heart disease crisis, encourage positive lifestyle changes, present realistic healthy food options, and teach a simple and effective exercise regimen. The long-term goal is to improve the quality of life in Mississippi by creating healthier, more active citizens and to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity.
Mississippi is predominantly a rural state, with ~37% of the population being African-American, a group under-represented in science and engineering fields. Consequently, researchers in Mississippi have the opportunity, privilege, and responsibility to create educational opportunities that empower individuals from this under-represented population. Warnock and Thibaudeau, both tenure-track faculty at MSU and active researchers with strong commitments to education, are experienced in the integration of research and education. Both have served as faculty mentors and have had active research projects involving high school and undergraduate researchers (50% African American) and work collaboratively with faculty/staff/students to involve young researchers in interdisciplinary research in the sciences and engineering. The educational and outreach components of the project include training of more than eight undergraduate and post-undergraduate scholars and providing opportunities for students from under represented groups.
