Cardiovascular Research

The lab is primarily interested in early developmental processes leading to normal as well as abnormal vertebrate heart development. Animal models being investigated include both avian (chick and quail) and mouse embryos. Areas investigated specifically include:

• Cell to cell and cell to matrix adhesion-mediated mechanisms regulating embryonic cardiac cell differentiation.
• Morphoregulatory mechanisms underlying embryonic heart looping.
• Growth factor-dependent mechanisms regulating cardiac development.
• Effects of environmental agents on early heart development. Currently investigating homocysteine and lithium.

Kersti K. Linask, PhD,
Mason Professor
University of South Florida, College of Medicine
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Research Institute
St. Petersburg, FL

Recent Publications:

• Han,M., Serrano, M.C., Lastra-Vicente,R., Brinez, P., Acharya, G., Huhta, J.C., Chen, R., and K.K. Linask. 2009. Folate rescues lithium, homocysteine, or Wnt3A induced vertebrate cardiac anomalies. Disease Models & Mechanisms 2. Electronically published.
• Chen, J., Han, M., Manisastry, S.M., Trotta, P., Serrano, M.C., Huhta, J.C., and Linask, K.K. 2008. Molecular Efects of Lithium Exposure during Mouse and Chick Gastrulation and Subsequent Valve Dysmorphogenesis. Birth Defects Res Part A: Clin and Mol Teratol. Jul;82(7):508-18. PMID: 18418887
• Wang, J, Thurston H, Essandoh E, Otoo M, Han M, Rajan A, Dube S, Zajdel RW, Sanger JM, Linask K.K, Dube DK, Sander JW, 2008. Tropomyosin expression and dynamics in developing avian embryonic muscles. Cell Motil Cytoskeleton. May; 65(5):379-92. PMID: 18302173
• Lu, W., Seeholzer, S.H., Han, M., Arnold, A.S., Serrano, M., Garita, B., Philip, N.J., Farthing, C., Steele, P., Chen, J., and Linask, K.K.2008. Cellular Nonmuscle Myosins NMHC-IIA and NMHC-IIB and Vertebrate Heart Looping. Developmental Dynamics. Dec:237(12):3577-90. PMID: 18697221

Recent Abstracts Presented:

Weinstein Cardiovascular Development Conference, San Frandisco, CA May 7-9, 2009.  Title: Folate suppresses Wnt/B-Catenin inhibition of cardiogenesis to protect against induction of congenital heart defects.

Weinstein Cardiovascular Development Conference, San Francisco, CA, May 7-9, 2009. Title: OCT Analysis of a Single Cardiac Cycle During Heart Looping: Relationships between Endocardium and Myocardium.

5th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Cairns, Australis, June 21-25, 2009. Title: Cardiovascular profile score in fetal right heart defects.

Upcoming Talks:

7th Annual Symposium on Advances in Perinatal Cardiology, All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL, October 22, 2009.  Title:  Developmental Connection of Heart Defects (CHD) and the Placenta.  View link

• Kersti K. Linask  PhD, Mason Professor
• Pilar Brinez,  MD, Scientific Researcher
• Mingda Han, MD, Research Associate
• Melissa Salazar, Administrative Assistant