Faculty Labs

Dr. Fadi G. Akar, Ph.D. completed his doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and his post-doctoral training in molecular cardiology at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Akar joined the Faculty in the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University in 2004, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2007 and Yale University School of Medicine in 2020. Dr. Akar's laboratory is dedicated to uncovering the mechanisms that promote arrhythmias in common structural heart diseases and to develop novel gene-based approaches to prevent these malignant arrhythmias.

Dr. Hwa received his medical degree (First Class Honors) from the University of Sydney, Australia. He completed his Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Cardiology at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia. He then pursued further studies in the Department of Molecular Cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation during which time he completed his doctoral thesis through Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Hwa was then awarded a Howard Hughes Physician Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue studies at M.I.T in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate, H. Gobind Khorana. He joined the faculty At Dartmouth (Pharmacology and Toxicology and Medicine) in 2000, and moved to Yale (Section of Cardiovascular Medicine) in 2009.

I am a physician-scientist in the Section of Cardiovascular Medicine. My research laboratory studies the role of endothelial cells, the cells that line blood vessels, in solid organ transplant rejection. In this endeavor, we have developed novel, patient-centered protocols heavily incorporating human biospecimens to increase the likelihood that findings derived from these assays will be clinically relevant.

Dr. Mani received his M.D. from Johannes Gutenberg University in 1991 in Germany where he had begun his scientific studies in cancer research. Later that year, he arrived at Yale and worked with Dr. Fred Gorelick on pancreatic exocrine diseases in the Department of Cell Biology and Gastroenterology prior to starting his Internal Medicine residency training at Yale New Haven Hospital, which he completed in 1996 after which he was chosen as chief resident. He then pursued a cardiovascular clinical fellowship at Yale along with post-doctoral studies in the Department of Genetics under Dr. Richard Lifton, where he began his focused work on human cardiovascular genetics. He joined the faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, initially as an instructor. He was appointed to assistant professor in 2002 and promoted to professor of medicine and genetics in 2016. Dr. Mani has published his research findings in leading journals such as Science, NEJM, Cell Metab, PNAS, Nature Genetics, and others. Due to these and other scientific accomplishments, he has been invited to speak globally and has been recognized with multiple fellowships and awards, including the highly coveted NIH Outstanding Investigator Award in 2017.

Kathleen Martin, PhD, graduated from Hiram College, where she majored in Biology. She earned her PhD from Case Western Reserve University in Physiology and Biophysics, then completed postdoctoral fellowships in cell biology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Martin joined the faculty of Dartmouth Medical School in 2000 in the Section of Vascular Surgery and Department of Pharmacology where she initiated her research program studying vascular smooth muscle cell biology in cardiovascular disease. In 2009, she became an Associate Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at Yale before becoming a professor in 2019. She has held multiple leadership positions with the American Heart Association, served as an NIH charter study section member, and currently serves as a Co-Director of the Yale Cardiovascular Research Center. Dr. Martin’s research lab aims to define the cellular signaling and epigenetic mechanisms that regulated vascular smooth muscle cell function in intimal hyperplasia, atherosclerosis, and transplant vasculopathy. Understanding how smooth muscle cells dramatically alter their phenotype may provide new insights for treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Yibing Qyang obtained his B.S. degree from the Department of Biochemistry, Nanjing University, China and subsequently pursued a M.S. degree at the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He next joined the Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. After receiving his Ph.D. degree, he was trained with Dr. Kenneth R. Chien at the University of California, San Diego and then the Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Stem Cell Institute. In October 2008, Dr. Qyang became a principal investigator at the Yale Cardiovascular Research Center and Section of Cardiology, Dept. of Internal Medicine, and Yale Stem Cell Center. Since 2010, he has been the Director of the Yale Stem Cell Research Forum. The Qyang laboratory is interested in employing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and tissue engineering to develop novel experimental models of human cardiovascular diseases for the purpose of elucidating causative mechanisms and identifying potential therapeutic interventions to treat these diseases. Currently, the Qyang laboratory has the following members: 1. Muhammad Riaz, Ph.D., Research Scientist, graduated from Erasmus University Medical-Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 2012, and joined the lab 1/1/2017. 2. Xin Li, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, graduated from Harbin Medical University in China in 2014, and joined the lab 5/1/2022. 3. Hangqi Luo, M.D., Ph.D., Postgraduate Associate, graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2022 and joined the lab 6/1/2022. 4. Meera Balasankar Priyadarshini, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, graduated from National University of Singapore in 2017, and joined the lab 11/1/2022. 5. Zhen Xu, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, graduated from City University of Hong Kong in 2018, and joined the lab 2/8/2023. 6. Luke Batty, M.S., graduated from University of California, Los Angeles, in 2017, and joined the lab as a Yale graduate student since 4/1/2018. Luke has won the Yale University Gruber Science Fellowship in 2017, an NIH F31 predoctoral fellowship (9/1/2019-8/31/2022), and an NIH Diversity Supplemental Award (9/1/2022-8/31/2023). Luke successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on May 4, 2023. Previous Qyang lab members: 1. Jinkyu Park, Ph.D. (graduated from Seoul National University, South Korea), postdoc training in Qyang lab (Dr. Park won a Department of Defense Award; $334,994; 1/1/2020-12/31/2022), now Assistant Professor in College of Medicine, Hallym University, South Korea. 2. Jiesi Luo, Ph.D. (graduated from Michigan State University, USA), postdoc training in Qyang lab (Dr. Luo won an AHA postdoctoral fellowship; 1/1/2019-1/1/2021), now Assistant Professor in School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, China. 3. Min Young Lee, D.V.M, Ph.D. (graduated from Chonnam National University, Korea), postdoc training in Qyang lab (2009-2012), now Professor in Department of Molecular Physiology, College of Pharmacy, Kyungpook National University , South Korea. 4. Esra Cagavi, Ph.D. (graduated from University of California, Los Angeles, USA), postdoc training in Qyang lab (2010-2012), now Associate Professor in Istanbul Medipol University, Regenerative and Restorative Medical Research Center, Department of Medical Biology, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. 5. Xin Ge, Ph.D., (graduated from University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA), postdoc training in Qyang lab (2010-2013). Dr. Ge was awarded a Brown-Coxe postdoctoral fellowship ($50,000; 7/1/2011 – 6/31/2012). Dr. Ge is now a Research Scientist in Shanghai Jiaotong University, China. 6. Matthew Ellis, B.S., graduated from University of Washington, Seattle, in 2015, and joined the lab as a Yale Ph.D. graduate student on 4/1/2017 (graduated 5/1/2022). Matthew won an NIH F31 predoctoral fellowship (9/1/2019-8/31/2021). Now a Postdoctoral Fellow with Drs. Farah Sheikh and Andrew McCulloch at UCSD. 7. Christopher Anderson, B.S., graduated from University of St. Thomas in 2015 and also Johns Hopkins University in 2017. He joined the lab as a Yale Ph.D. graduate student on 6/1/2017 (graduated 5/1/2022). Chris won an NIH F31 predoctoral fellowship (9/1/2018-8/31/2021) and an NIH Diversity Supplemental Award (9/1/2021-8/31/2022). Now a Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Andrew McCulloch at UCSD. 8. Ariana Wei, M.S., joined the lab (1/1/2022-5/31/2022) as a Yale M.S. graduate student for her thesis work. She is working as a Research Associate at Altos Labs. 9. Yan Huang, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, graduated from Hunan Medical University in China in 1998, and joined the lab (7/1/2018-4/31/2022). 10. Yongming Ren, Ph.D. (now a Senior Scientist at Vita Therapeutics, USA), graduated from Tsinghua University, China, in 2007. Dr. Ren was awarded a Connecticut Stem Cell grant ($200,000; 11/1/2012 – 10/30/2014). 11. Oscar Bartulos-Encinas, Ph.D. (now Senior Scientist at Pluriomics Biotechnology, The Netherlands), graduated from University of Madrid, Spain, in 2009. Dr. Bartulos was awarded a Connecticut Stem Cell grant ($200,000; 11/1/2013 – 10/30/2015). 12. Peter John Amos, Ph.D., (graduated from University of Virginia), postdoc training in Qyang lab (2010-2013), now an officer for Patents and Innovations in Life Sciences in Seattle. Dr. Amos was awarded a Connecticut Stem Cell grant ($200,000; 9/1/2011 – 6/30/2013) during his training in Qyang lab. 13. Colleen A. Lopez, Ph.D., Postdoc Fellows, graduated from University of Oxford in May 2019 and joined the lab in April 2019. She is now a Scientific Consultant for Clearview Healthcare Partners. Dr. Lopez was awarded an NIH T32 postdoc fellowship (4/1/2019 – 3/31/2021). 14. Subhash K. Das, Ph.D., graduated from University of Alberta, Edmonton. Canada. January 2011 - May 2016, joined the lab in November 2016, and now is a scientist in University of Alberta. 15. Biraja Dash, Ph.D., graduated from Network of Excellence in Functional Biomaterials, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland in 2014, trained in Qyang lab (2013-2016), now is a scientist at Department of Surgery, Yale University. 16. Zhengxin Jiang, Ph.D. (graduated from Baylor College of Medicine, USA), postdoc training in Qyang lab (2013-2015), now is the Director, Research & Development at Pregene Biotechnology. 17. Ting Yi, Ph.D. (Postdoc), graduated from University of Vermont, USA in 2013, trained in Qyang lab (2013-2015), now working on Business Development at Rallybio. 18. Yuyao Lin, M.D., Ph.D. candidate from Xi'An Jiaotong University School of Medicine, China, joined the lab 10/1/2018-9/30/2020. Now Dr. Lin is a physician scientist at Xi'An Jiaotong University. 19. Xiangyu Shi, M.D., Ph.D. candidate from Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, China, joined the lab 7/1/2018-8/31/2020. Now Dr. Shi is a physician scientist at Central South University. 20. Xia Li, M.B., visiting scholar from China, and now a research assistant at Yale (2015-2017). 21. Carol Suh, graduate student who obtained a M.S. degree (2012-2014). She obtained her B.S. from Harvard University in 2011, and works as a Principal at the Biotech Venture Capital at ARCH Venture Partners. 22. Hongwei Wu, M.D., visiting student who obtained Ph.D. degree (2011-2014). He was from The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, China. 23. Yan Xu, M.D., visiting scholar (2014) from The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, China. 24. Xiaoqiang Cong, M.D., visiting scholar (2016-2017) from the First Hospital of Jilin University, China. 25. Jessica Tuan, Master Student at Yale Biomedical Engineering (2011-2012), medical school training at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Now an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Infectious Disease) at Yale University. 26. Caroline Greenberg, Summer Intern 2011, Medical Student in Yale School of Medicine. Now she works in NEW HAVEN, CT and specializes in Internal Medicine. 27. Andre Alcon, Summer Intern 2011, Medical Student in Yale School of Medicine. Now a plastic surgeon at Walnut Creek Medical Center, Walnut Creek, CA 28. Grant Senyei, Yale Undergraduate student (2008-2010), with medical school training at Northwestern University School of Medicine. Dr. Grant D. Senyei is now a pulmonologist in San Diego, California and is affiliated with VA San Diego Healthcare System. 29. Karen Xiao, Summer Intern 2012, undergraduate student at Georgetown University. Now a clinical fellow at Yale New Haven Hospital. 30. Zelun Wang, undergraduate summer student 2013 from Rice University, now a MD/PhD student in Washington University Saint Louis. 31. Nicole Boardman, Yale Junior Undergraduate Student trained in the Qyang lab (2016-2017) and with medical school training in Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Arizona. Now an OB/GYN resident physician at Banner University in Tucson, Arizona. 32. Mengyan Liu, undergraduate summer student 2014 from University of New Haven. Now a Doctoral Fellow at University of Massachusetts Lowell. 33. Angelica Lorenzo, undergraduate student 2022 (cardiac engineering training in the Spring semester) from Yale University Department of Biomedical Engineering, Bachelor of Science. 34. Layla Hedroug, undergraduate student 2022 (cardiac engineering training in the Spring semester) from Yale University, Bachelor of Arts, Global Affairs. 35. Hong Wu, Ph.D., visiting scholar from China (2014-2015). He is now a Professor, Henan University. 36. Jiahui Zhou, M.D., visiting scholar from China (2017-2018). He is now a physician at Guangdong General Hospital.

Mehran M. Sadeghi, MD, studied medicine at Necker Enfants Malades School of Medicine and earned his medical degree from the University of Paris in 1991. Prior to establishing the Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Dr. Sadeghi completed his residency and fellowship training at Yale New Haven Hospital followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine.The goal of the Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging Laboratory is to develop novel in vivo imaging approaches to visualize, characterize and quantify molecular and cellular processes involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases, and to address novel aspects of vascular and valvular biology. This is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary effort, involving the researchers with expertise in vascular and molecular biology, molecular imaging, medical physics and chemistry. The research focus is on vascular remodeling, fibrosis and inflammation, key features of atherosclerosis, aneurysm, cardiomyopathy, and calcific aortic valve disease.Dr. Sadeghi is a recipient of the Hermann Blumgart Award from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and a past president of the Cardiovascular Council of the Society of Nuclear medicine and Molecular Imaging. He is a member of American College of Cardiology, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, and the North American Vascular Biology Organization.

Martin Schwartz earned a BA in chemistry from New College in Sarasota FL and a PhD in physical chemistry from Stanford, where he worked in Harden McConnell’s lab on biophysics of phospholipid membranes.He then did postdoctoral research in biology at MIT in the laboratory of Richard Hynes where he studied interactions of fibronectin with cells and other proteins. He was on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, Scripps Research Institute and the University of Virginia prior to moving to Yale in 2011. Starting in the 1980’s, his lab was among the first to report that integrin mediated adhesion could regulate signaling pathways in cells;that integrin-mediated adhesion promotes cell survival, that integrins synergize with growth factor receptors to activate growth signaling pathways and that integrins regulate Rho family GTPases. His lab has also elucidated mechanotransduction pathways by which endothelial cells respond to fluid shear stress to activate inflammatory pathways linked to atherosclerosis. His current research program combines studies using biophysical, cellular and animal approaches to important questions about integrin signaling, mechanotransduction and disease in the vascular system.

Dr. Simons is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale School of Medicine. He completed his clinical training in internal medicine at the New England Medical Center in Boston and cardiology training at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. He completed a postdoctoral fellowships in molecular cardiology at National Heart Lung and Blood Institute in Bethesda and in vascular biology at MIT. In 1993 he joined faculty at Harvard Medical School as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and rose through the ranks to become an Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of the Morse Coronary Care Unit and Director of Angiogenesis Research Center. In 2001 he was recruited to Dartmouth as AG Huber Professor of Medicine and Chief of Cardiology, subsequently becoming Director of Dartmouth Cardiovascular Center. Dr. Simons’ research focuses on biology of arterial vasculature and spans basic, translational and clinical areas of investigations. He led the first trials of therapeutic angiogenesis in the USA and his basic research discoveries have played an important role in moving the field forward. Dr. Simons has an extensive track record of NIH funding including multiple R01s and he has served as a Principal Investigator of the NHLBI SCOR program in endothelial biology. Recently, he has been awarded a Leducq Transatlantic network grant to build and lead the ARTEMIS arteriogenesis network composed of investigators in USA, UK, Belgium and France. Dr. Simons also leads an NHLBI PPG program focused on arteriogenessi. He has published over 270 research papers and reviews and has been elected to a number of honorary societies including Association of American Physicians, American Society of Clinical Investigations and Association of University Cardiologists. He also a Fellow of the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Physiology.

My clinical training is as an advanced heart failure physician with formal research training in patient oriented translational research. My research program is supported by NIH and investigator-initiated industry sources and uses techniques of both translational and clinical research to further the mechanistic understanding of cardiac-renal interactions, fluid and sodium homeostasis, and diuretic resistance. The primary approach of my current research program is prospective mechanistic human studies in heart failure and kidney disease patients, for which we have established extensive infrastructure.  N My lab has extensive expertise in biomarker research has established and maintains an extensive bioassay resource with the capability to determine an extensive range of analytes in human biological samples with complexity ranging from simple serum chemistries to complex analytes such as ultra-trace lithium by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, deuterium concentration by IRMS, high dimension multiplex protein assays, and large and small molecules by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.

Jean-Léon Thomas performed a PhD. in developmental biology with Pr. Nicole Le Douarin at Collège de France (Paris), and postgraduate studies on glial cell development with Bernard ZALC at INSERM, Salpêtrière Hospital (Paris). He was nominated Associate Professor at the University of Marne la Vallée in 1997 and Research Director at INSERM in 2005. Until 2010, he was heading a research group on ‘Oligodendrocyte development and Neurovascular interactions’ at the Research Center of the Brain and Spinal Cord Institute, Salpêtrière Hospital (Paris). JL THOMAS has an Associate Professor position at the Neurology Department of the Yale School of Medicine and is member of the Yale Stem Cell Center.

Dr. David van Dijk is Assistant Professor at Yale Dept. of Internal Medicine and Yale Dept. of Computer Science where he leads a research group that focuses on the cutting-edge application of machine learning methods to big biomedical data. His group develops new algorithms for discovering hidden structure, signals, and patterns in complex high-dimensional and high-throughput data, including single-cell RNA sequencing, microbiome, medical imaging, and electronic health records. His research team comprises trainees from diverse backgrounds, including computer science, mathematics, physics, biology, medicine, and neuroscience. Dr. van Dijk completed his PhD in Computer Science at the University of Amsterdam and the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he used machine learning to understand how gene regulation is encoded in DNA sequence. As a postdoc at Yale Genetics and Computer Science, he developed machine learning methods for single-cell data that are widely used in the biomedical community.Website: vandijklab.org