The Cardiovascular Glycocalyx in Health and Disease

Dr. Fancher is an Assistant Professor at the University of Delaware in the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, College of Health Sciences. Dr. Fancher’s immediate interests are in understanding how cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity, impair vascular endothelial ion channel function which ultimately results in dysregulation of vascular function. His recent studies have detailed a link between damage to the endothelial glycocalyx and impaired K+ channel function in obesity; a mechanism he proposes contributes to obesity-induced vascular dysfunction. Ongoing studies in the lab are focused on determining the mechanistic link between elevated macronutrients associated with a poor Western diet and obesity, disruption of the glycocalyx, and K+ channel function.

Dr. Andreia Z. Chignalia is an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona, Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine-Tucson. The research in the Chignalia lab focuses on studying the redox mechanisms underlying cardiovascular diseases and associated pulmonary complications. Special emphasis is given to explore the differential redox-sensitive pathways activated by individual glycocalyx components during disease progression. Her research program utilizes a broad range of techniques that span from in vitro, in situ, and in vivo animal models of disease with a translational approach to advance the understanding of human disease with the goal to identify new targets for drug development.