Karen Glass, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Colchester Campus of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS-Vermont), has received a two-year grant from the American Heart Association in the amount of $132,000. She will be researching new approaches for reducing the risks of heart attack in individuals suffering from heart disease.
The onset of heart disease places additional stress on the heart, leading to damage of the heart tissue. Unfortunately, the heart is incapable of producing new replacement cells, so it responds by growing existing cells, a phenomenon known as cardiac hypertrophy. Instead of strengthening the heart, hypertrophy significantly weakens the heart muscle, making the individual more susceptible to a heart attack.
Cardiac hypertrophy is spurred by the reactivation of dormant gene expression pathways in our bodies. The focus of Dr. Glass’ grant will be to explore the molecular mechanisms that reactivate these signaling pathways and gain insight into the design of new therapeutic strategies for preventing and treating cardiovascular disease.
“If we can block the gene expression pathways that stimulate cell growth in the heart, we can prevent the onset of cardiac hypertrophy, and, by extension, reduce the risks of heart attack among patients who suffer from heart disease,” says Dr. Glass.
Dr. Glass is a native of Essex Junction, Vermont. She received her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from the University of Vermont. Following the completion of her postdoctoral work at the University of Colorado Denver, she joined the faculty at ACPHS-Vermont in fall 2010. In addition to her research activities, she teaches courses in pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and infectious disease.
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a private, independent institution committed to the advancement of health. The College’s Vermont Campus is located in Colchester and is home to the only pharmacy program in the state of Vermont. The school’s main campus is located in Albany, New York.