Thomas E. Sharp, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology

Faculty, USF Health, Heart Institute

Contact Info

• 560 Channelside Drive
  MDD 610G
  Tampa FL 33602
• Academic Email: tesharp@usf.edu
• Academic Phone: (813) 396-9503
• View My C.V. | View My Lab Site

Education

Biography

Tom is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at USF Morsani College of Medicine and faculty with the USF Health, Heart Institute in Tampa, Florida, USA. Tom received his doctorate from Temple University, Lewis Katz School of Medicine where he was an AHA-funded predoctoral fellow, publishing works on translational application of cell-based and pharmaceutical-based therapies to combat ischemic heart failure in preclinical models in the laboratory of Dr. Steven R. Houser. Tom continued his training in the laboratory of Dr. David J. Lefer, at LSU Health Sciences Center – New Orleans as an AHA-funded postdoctoral fellow, where he studied ischemia-reperfusion injury, heart failure and novel therapeutic development for cardiovascular disease, publishing seminal work on renal denervation to treat heart failure in preclinical translational studies. His research program focuses on elucidating novel mechanistic insights and therapeutic targets in a multi-organ approach for cardiometabolic disease and heart failure with an emphasis on HFpEF.

Interdisciplinary and Emerging Signature Programs

• Cardiovascular
• Cardiovascular Sciences
• Cellular and Molecular Biology
• Metabolic Regulation and Disorders
• Other

Research Interests

• The Sharp laboratory is focused on the develop and translational application of novel therapeutic strategies to combat cardiovascular (CV) and cardio metabolic (CM) diseases. Specifically, utilizing clinical bio-banked specimens, in vivo small and large animal models to recapitulate clinical pathophysiology, in order to gain insight into mechanisms which drive disease. The Sharp lab then studies novel therapeutic strategies to alter the development, manifestation and progression of CVD/CMD. Areas of interest include I/R injury, cardio-protection, cardiac remodeling and the restoration/preservation of CV function in the setting of heart failure with an emphasis on HFpEF. The laboratory is also interested in the gut-host interaction leading to changes in the host metabolism related to CV pathophysiology. It is our hope that this research will lead to novel and clinically meaningful interventions for patients who suffer with CV and/or CM disease(s) ultimately impacting human health. Please explore our laboratory website to learn more https://healthscholars.usf.edu/sharplab

Awards/Honors

• Predoctoral Fellowship (American Heart Association - 2014)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship (American Heart Association - 2018)
• Mary P. Wiedeman Award in Physiology (Temple University, Lewis Katz School of Medicine - 2017)

Memberships

• Member (American Heart Association (AHA), 2023 - Present)
• Member (International Society of Heart Research (ISHR), 2023 - Present)
• Member (Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), 2023 - Present)
• Member (American Physiological Society (APS), 2023 - Present)

Recent Publications

• Sharp TE, Schena GJ, Hobby AR, Starosta T, Berretta RM, Wallner M, Borghetti G, Gross P, Yu D, Johnson J, Feldsott E, Trappanese DM, Toib A, Rabinowitz JE, George JC, Kubo H, Mohsin S, Houser SR. Cortical bone stem cell therapy preserves cardiac structure and function after myocardial infarction. Circulation Research. , 2017.
• Sharp TE, Polhemus DJ, Li Z, Spaletra P, Jenkins JS, Reilly JP, White CJ, Kapusta DR, Lefer DJ, Goodchild TT. Renal denervation prevents heart failure progression via inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. , 2018.
• Organ CL, Li Z, Sharp TE, Polhemus DJ, Gupta N, Goodchild TT, Tang WHW, Hazen SL, Lefer DJ. Nonlethal inhibition of gut microbial trimethylamine n-oxide production improves cardiac function and remodeling in a murine model of heart failure. Journal of the American Heart Association. , 2020.
• Sharp TE, Scarborough AL, Li Z, Polhemus DJ, Hidalgo HA, Schumacher JD, Matsuura TR, Jenkins JS, Kelly DP, Goodchild TT, Lefer DJ. Novel Gottingen miniswine model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction integrating multiple comorbidities. JACC: Basic to Translational Science. , 2021.
• Li Z, Xia H, Sharp III TE, LaPenna KB, Elrod JW, Calvert JW, Salloumn FN, Chau VQ, Noriyuki N, Goodchild TT, Lefer DJ. Mitochondrial H2S Regulates BCAA Catabolism in Heart Failure. Circulation Research. , 2022.
• Sharp TE, Lefer DJ. Renal Denervation to Treat Heart Failure. Annual Review of Physiology. , 2021.
• Zhen Li, Min Gu, Aline Zaparte, Xiaoming Fu, Kala Mahen, Marko Mrdjen, Xinmin S. Li, Zhihong Yang, JingMa, Themis Thoudam, Kristina Chandler, Maggie Hesler, Laura Heathers, Kiersten Gorse, Thanh Trung Van, David Wong, Aaron M. Gibson, Zeneng Wang, Christopher M. Taylor, Pearl Quijada, Catherine A. Makarewich, Stanley L. Hazen, Suthat Liangpunsakul, J. Mark Brown, David J. Lefer, David A. Welsh & Thomas E. Sharp III Alcohol-induced gut microbial reorganization and associated overproduction of phenylacetylglutamine promotes cardiovascular disease Nature Communications. , 2024.