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Welcome to the USF Health Heart Institute
Our beautiful USF Health building in Downtown Tampa is located in the center of Water Street Tampa, a revitalized downtown region where our faculty and students can enjoy a healthy, energy-efficient lifestyle within walking distance of renowned entertainment venues, innovative dining, and outdoor recreational activities.
State-of-the-art laboratories and core facilities supported through National Institutes of Health and other federal grant sources, foundations, industry, and USF-generated resources create a vibrant environment for research. We have a particular interest in recruiting funded scientists with high risk-high potential gain projects, those using cutting-edge technology, and those seeking to unite basic and translational sciences to directly benefit patients.
Director's Welcome - Dr. Stephen Liggett
The USF Health Heart Institute faculty are always “aiming for the cure”, so securing intellectual property from our research is a core value.
The Heart Institute is also committed to helping expand entrepreneurial activity by channeling intellectual property into new commercial enterprises and engaging in community redevelopment with local companies.
Whether you are a patient, potential faculty recruit, donor, or citizen of the Tampa Bay region, I invite you to take a look at the faculty accomplishments on this website and join us in supporting research and innovation at the USF Health Heart Institute.
Featured Faculty
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Stephen Liggett, MD
Stephen Liggett, MDVice Dean for Research, Morsani College of Medicine Associate Vice President for Research, USF Health Distinguished Professor -
Da-Zhi Wang, PhD
Da-Zhi Wang, PhDProfessor, USF Health Heart Institute Director, Center for Regenerative Medicine -
Thomas McDonald, MD
Thomas McDonald, MDProfessor, USF Health Heart Institute Director, USF - Cardiogenetics Program -
Ganesh Halade, PhD
Ganesh Halade, PhDAssociate Professor, USF Health Heart Institute
Recent Publications
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Agonist activation to open the Gα subunit of the GPCR–G protein
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulate multiple cellular responses and represent highly successful therapeutic targets. The mechanisms by which agonists activate the G protein are unclear for many GPCR families, including the bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs). We ascertained TAS2R5 properties by live cell-based functional assays, direct binding affinity measurements using optical resonators...
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Label-free, real-time monitoring of membrane binding events at zeptomolar
G-protein coupled receptors help regulate cellular function and communication, and are targets of small molecule drug discovery efforts. Conventional techniques to probe these interactions require labels and large amounts of receptor to achieve satisfactory sensitivity. Here, we use frequency-locked optical microtoroids for label-free characterization of membrane interactions in vitro...
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Regulation of RIPK1 Phosphorylation: Implications for Inflammation...
Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) plays a crucial role in controlling inflammation and cell death. Its function is tightly controlled through post-translational modifications, enabling its dynamic switch between promoting cell survival and triggering cell death. Phosphorylation of RIPK1 at various sites serves as a critical mechanism for regulating its activity, exerting either...
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MLKL polymerization-induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization promotes...
Mixed lineage kinase-like protein (MLKL) forms amyloid-like polymers to promote necroptosis; however, the mechanism through which these polymers trigger cell death is not clear. We have determined that activated MLKL translocates to the lysosomal membrane during necroptosis induction. The subsequent polymerization of MLKL induces lysosome clustering and fusion and eventual (LMP).
USF Health Heart Institute News
USF Health $5.6 million study to define link between genetics and heart disease in many Friedreich's ataxia patients
Researchers at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine were awarded $5.6 million of expected funds for a 4-year study from the U.S. Department of Defense to examine why many people with Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA) go on to also develop heart disease, a major cause of death for those with FA.
“We still don’t have a full understanding of the genetic mutation for Friedrich’s ataxia to determine why so many patients go on to get heart disease – we need to know,” said Dr. Thomas McDonald, Principal investigator for the USF study.
Read more about the USF Health study being conducted define a link between genetics and heart disease Friedrich ataxia patients.
Congratulations to Dr. Wang and Dr. Mably!
Dr. Da-Zhi Wang and Dr. John Mably's article titled "Reduced Mitochondrial Protein Translation Promotes Cardiomyocyte Proliferation and Heart Regeneration" was published in Circulation 31 Oct 2023.
Congratulations to Dr. Wang and Dr. Mably!
Congratulations to Dr. Liggett!
Stephen Liggett, MD, vice dean of research for the Morsani College of Medicine and associate vice president for research at USF Health, was designated a Distinguished Professor.
Congratulations to Dr. Liggett!
Congratulations to Dae Hyun Lee!
Dae Hyun Lee received the American Heart Association Career Development Award for his project on MYC expression in cardiovascular disease. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at USF Health, mentored by experts.