Jason Choi, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Contact
1020 Locust Street
JAH Suite 236
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-503-5685
215-503-5731 fax
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Jason Choi, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Research & Clinical Interests
Mutations in the LMNA gene, encoding nuclear lamins A and C, cause a diverse range of diseases collectively called laminopathies. Despite its ubiquitous expression in most differentiated somatic cells, mutations in LMNA lead to tissue-specific diseases predominantly affecting highly metabolic tissues such as the striated muscle and adipose tissue. The most prevalent laminopathy is dilated cardiomyopathy (LMNA cardiomyopathy), characterized by thinning of the ventricular wall and cardiac fibrosis, which ultimately results in heart failure. Due to the lack of mechanistic insights in the pathogenic mechanisms, there are no mechanism-based therapies to improve cardiac performance or prevent heart muscle deterioration. The overall goal of the project is to reveal pathogenic mechanisms of LMNA cardiomyopathy by focusing on two main cell types in the heart: cardiac myocytes and cardiac fibroblasts. Our studies will begin to unravel the complex interplay between these two cell types and test therapeutic strategies to mitigate or even halt disease progression.
Education
PhD, University at Buffalo, SUNY, 2007
BS, College at Geneseo, SUNY, 1998
Publications
- Perinuclear damage from nuclear envelope deterioration elicits stress responses that contribute to LMNA cardiomyopathy
- Med25 Limits Master Regulators That Govern Adipogenesis
- Elevated dual specificity protein phosphatase 4 in cardiomyopathy caused by lamin A/C gene mutation is primarily ERK1/2-dependent and its depletion improves cardiac function and survival
- Nuclear envelope regulation of signaling cascades
- Inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 signaling has beneficial effects on skeletal muscle in a mouse model of Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy caused by lamin A/C gene mutation
Professional Societies
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Heart Association
- American Society for Cell Biology