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Faculty Profile Last Modified Time: 07:20:32 AM Wed, 15 Apr 2020   Contact Information Bradley McConnell Associated Profiles  Associate Professor, Pharmacology, University of Houston   Health Building 2, Room No.: 5024    bkmcconn@central.uh.edu     713-743-1218    Web Link    Molecular Biology, Genetics, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Physiology, Cardiac Function, Pharmacology, Cardiology, Cardiomyopathies    Associated Profiles Research and Expertise Appointments  Research and Expertise Research Interests   Dr. McConnell's research focuses on cardiac and skeletal muscle function in both normal and disease conditions. Specifically, the projects in Dr. McConnell's laboratory focuses on the genetics, physiology and pharmacology of muscle diseases with the hope to better understand cell communication — the signaling pathways — involved in normal and pathophysiological conditions. With an increased understanding of cell signaling mechanisms, it is our goal to discover new therapeutic strategies to restore and/or enhance function during heart and skeletal muscle disease. Heart failure is a major public health problem and defined as a chronic and complex clinical syndrome which results from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the heart to efficiently pump blood. Understanding how perturbations in cardiac cell signaling leads to the development of heart failure is lacking, although many insightful studies have identified key signaling components involved in protein/gene expression, Ca2+ cycling, and post-translational modification. In addition, peripheral artery disease (PAD) is another major health problem and occurs when blood flow decreases to the extremities due to vessel narrowing caused by atherosclerosis. This leads to ischemia and muscle denervation, which worsens over time. This loss of blood flow causes ischemia and nerve damage leading to muscle atrophy, which culminates in critical limb ischemia and patients are at risk for limb loss, myocardial infarction and death. Thus, there is also an unmet need to develop novel and innovative treatments strategies to help patients with heart failure and PAD. Projects in Dr. McConnell's laboratory involves applied basic science and clinically relevant research that addresses significant and innovative questions involving strategies to characterize cardiac myocyte intracellular signaling, cardiac muscle regeneration, and skeletal muscle repair. Specifically, Dr. McConnell's research team studies (a) the characterization of scaffolding proteins (A-kinase Anchoring Proteins; AKAPs) in ²-adrenergic receptor (²-AR) and local subcellular signaling; (b) the development of reprogrammed progenitor cells to form mature cardiac cells and engineered heart muscle for cardiac repair following a myocardial infarction (i.e. heart attack); and (c) the development of a gene activation system and delivery strategy to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD)-like induced skeletal muscle atrophy. Overall, Dr. McConnell made a commitment to become "the best teacher-scholar possible." He continues to achieve this goal through innovative educational approaches and by conducting novel research in order to provide a well-executed integration of both education and research. Dr. McConnell aims to develop future leaders who are curious and engage in intellectual inquiry, who can think critically and communicate effectively, and who will have a keener understanding—if not a full-fledged passion—for the STEM fields.  Publications/Creative Works Click here to search for this faculty member's publications on PubMed.  Appointments Title Department / School Institution Associate Professor Pharmacology University of Houston

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