Visiting Speaker Series – Summer 2024

MMRI is thrilled to host scientists from around the country as part of its invited speaker series. Since February, three scientists have traveled to Utica, New York, to share their research with the staff of MMRI. All three speakers research cardiovascular medicine. The featured speakers include Bin Zhou, Ph.D., Charles Murray, Ph.D. and Asa Gustafson, Ph.D.

Dr. Bin Zhou

On February 15, 2024, Dr. Bin Zhou, professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, visited MMRI to speak about his research, which is focused on endocardium cells in the heart, cell population in the coronary arteries in the heart walls and how they link to underlying molecular mechanisms. His findings relate to endocardium biology, heart development, heart disease and coronary artery disease.

Dr. Charles Murray

On May 15, 2024, Charles Murray, Ph.D., from the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, visited MMRI to discuss his research in heart regeneration techniques. Dr. Murray explained that through heart disease, the heart pump (made of muscle) can be damaged, losing cells and causing heart failure. His research focuses on using stem cells to create heart cells in limited quantities at a pharmaceutical level. This task has yet to be completed but will change the trajectory of patients’ clinical courses.

Dr. Asa Gustafsson

On June 26, 2024, Asa Gustafsson, Ph.D., from the University of California, San Diego, California, discussed her research on the aging heart and the role of mitochondria. Dr. Gustafson’s work largely studies disposal pathways disrupted by heart disease. Her work also studies how the disposal pathways can cause further damage to the muscle as it ages.