| Overview
Altered blood lipids predict risk of myocardial
infarction and myocardial
infarction is the leading cause of death
worldwide.
Both blood lipid levels and myocardial
infarction are heritable phenotypes. The
genes underlying the variability in blood
lipids and risk of myocardial
infarction are largely unknown. Genes validated
in the human population to
relate to blood lipids and to risk of myocardial
infarction may provide novel
diagnostics and new therapeutic targets.
My laboratory seeks to define the
genetic basis for blood lipids (high-density
lipoprotein cholesterol,
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and
triglycerides) and myocardial
infarction (MI). We are focused on three
goals:
1) mapping of genetic loci related to lipids
and/or myocardial infarction and
identifying the causal variants and genes
2) developing a molecular understanding
of how the causal variants and genes lead
to phenotype
3) applying genetic and functional insights
to improve preventive cardiac care.
To address the above goals, my laboratory
uses a variety of research
methodologies and reagants including population
genetics, large patient sample collections,
genetic association, functional analysis
in model organisms, and genetic studies
in clinical trials and prospective cohort
studies.
About
Sek
Dr. Kathiresan is the
current Director of Preventive Cardiology
at the
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
Heart Center and an Assistant Professor
at Harvard Medical School. He received
his B.A. in history summa cum laude
from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1992 and received his M.D. from Harvard
Medical School in 1997. Dr. Kathiresan
completed his clinical training in internal
medicine and cardiology at MGH. He served
as Chief Resident in Internal Medicine
at MGH in 2002-2003.
Dr. Kathiresan pursued research training
in cardiovascular genetics through a
combined experience at the Framingham
Heart Study and the Broad Institute
of MIT and Harvard. In 2008, he joined
the research faculties of the MGH Cardiovascular
Research Center and the MGH Center for
Human Genetic Research. His research
laboratory focuses on understanding
the inherited basis for blood lipids
and myocardial infarction and using
these insights to improve preventive
cardiac care. In the past three years,
Dr. Kathiresan has discovered many new
genes related to heart attack risk and
blood lipid levels and published these
findings in leading biomedical research
journals including Nature, Science,
Nature Genetics, and the New England
Journal of Medicine. In tandem with
his research, Dr. Kathiresan's clinical
focus is the primary prevention of myocardial
infarction in individuals with a family
history of heart attack.
Email Dr. Kathiresan at his MGH
or Broad
Institute email addresses.
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