Cardiac Hypertrophy:

Yang Xia, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology,
Medical School and GSBS

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases is the focus of research in Xia’s lab. The research has the potential to lead to novel diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities that could greatly reduce morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases.

Yang Xia, M.D., Ph.D.

Specifically, Xia is trying to identify the pathways within cells for chemical or electrical signals associated with cardiac hypertrophy.

“Cardiac hypertrophy,” she said, “is an early adaptive process that allows the heart to maintain or increase cardiac output in response to increased workload. I have used both cellular systems and transgenic mice as our experimental methods to investigate the essential role of multiple signaling pathways in cardiac hypertrophy.” She is principal investigator on the study, which has funding from American Heart Association-Texas Affiliate.

Her recent studies explore previously unrecognized calcium-independent pathways associated with cardiac hypertrophic gene regulation. These novel findings led to several prestigious awards: Lyndon Baines Johnson Research Award, Young Investigator Award of the International Society of Heart Research and Outstanding Early Career Development Award of American Heart Association.

In addition, she said, “I developed new research in another heart-threatening vascular disease, preeclampsia, a leading cause of death during pregnancy.” Her findings raise the possibility that preeclampsia is a gestationinduced autoimmune disease.