Visiting Post Doc (unpaid)

Overview of Department & Mentor

The Heart Institute is comprised of 16 centers and programs to diagnose and treat an array of heart conditions in all types of patients. Led by Dr. Eduardo Marban, the center provides expertise in specialties including transplantation, stem cell therapy, congenital heart disease, women's heart health, valve disorders, arrhythmia, and hypertension. Not only is the Heart Institute committed to caring for patients they are committed to conducting cutting edge research. Due to the extensive research being conducted right here at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute patients have access to pioneering research techniques. 
Dr. Goldhaber's lab focuses on studying the regulation of cardiac excitation- contraction coupling in health and disease, with a particular focus on the effects of metabolic inhibition, ischemia and heart failure on intracellular calcium regulation. A new focus has been on the genesis of pacemaker activity in the sinus node which has led to an NIH funded project to understand the heart's natural pacemaker activity using laser scanning confocal microscopy, voltage mapping, and single cell electrophysiology using a patch clamping technique.
Dr. Goldhaber was among the first to describe the effects of metabolic oxidative stress on cardiac excitation - contraction coupling and calcium regulation. He was also a leader in the study of sodium-calcium exchange and its effects on excitation-contraction coupling in genetically modified mice.
Role Summary & Objectives
The visiting graduate student will participate in research to determine the contribution of oxidative stress mediated by nadph oxidase 4 on atrial fibrillation in a mouse model. Conduction abnormalities caused by knockout of zona-occludens proteins will also be examined using different mouse models. The techniques will include calcium mapping, confocal imaging and patch clamping, cardiac ultrasound/echocardiography, hemodynamic monitoring (non-invasive and invasive), electrocardiography, and intracardiac electrogram pacing and recording with voltage mapping. 
Role Activities & Timeline

As described above, the visiting scholar will be reviewing the literature, participating in experiment design, conducting experiments using the above techniques, analyzing data from these experiments, presenting the data in laboratory meetings, and then preparing the data for presentation and for inclusion in manuscripts. This will occur over the space of approximately one year, with possible extension if needed to complete the work and funds available. Activity Select Weeks or Months for timeline below depending on internship duration:  Months

1. Orientation to lab equipment and materials 1-2 

2. Review and understand study protocol with supervisor 
3. Protein quantification via western blot ☒
4. Introduction to analysis software/Data Analysis
5. Calcium mapping 
6. Cell Culture 
7. Confocal imaging 
8. cardiac ultrasound/echocardiography