Select Page

 

About Us

Welcome to Mitochondria and Metabolism Laboratory. We are based in the Heart and Vascular Institute. We are also part of the Department of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Penn State College of Medicine. The primary focus of the laboratory is on the mitochondria. This ancient endomembrane system arose around two billion years ago from the engulfment of a proteobacterium by a precursor of the modern eukaryotic cell. Mitochondria have an inert ability to produce ATP through respiration, making them a driving force in evolution. Apart from its traditional role as a cell powerhouse, mitochondria also acquired a myriad of additional functions, including calcium buffering capacity, generation of reactive oxygen species, regulation of apoptosis, activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response, as well as in the far-ranging sequel of mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria are also implicated in many common diseases, including but not restricted to Alzheimer, Parkinson’s, metabolic disorders, muscular dystrophy, cardiovascular diseases, and also in the process of normal aging. We perform biochemical physiology combined with animal models to systematically explore the role of mitochondrial ion signaling in health and disease. Our long-term goal is to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of disease to identify and develop therapeutic options…