Nicholas E.S. Sibinga
<p>Vascular disease, the greatest single cause of morbidity and mortality in developed societies, results from interactions between circulating inflammatory cells, the endothelium that lines the vasculature, underlying vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) that comprise most of the arterial wall, and stem/progenitor cells found in the surrounding adventitia. The underlying pathogenesis is complex: factors that impinge on these cell types include reactivated developmental pathways, innate and acquired immune responses, and changes in cell function that result from physical stresses, perturbed blood flow, and biochemical stimuli. Our general approach is to characterize these responses at the molecular level, in cultured cells, and in mouse models that reflect specific types of vascular injury, including atherosclerosis, mechanical trauma, and transplant-associated arteriosclerosis.</p>
<p>Fat proteins are important regulators of cell growth and planar cell polarity. We have linked the atypical cadherin adhesion molecule Fat1 to significant effects on mammalian vascular remodeling. Our studies in VSMCs show that Fat1 interacts with beta-catenin to limit canonical Wnt signaling, a core developmental pathway that regulates many aspects of metazoan embryogenesis, and with Atrophin proteins to control VSMC directional migration. Recent findings suggest that Fat1 is an important regulator of VSMC growth and differentiation in injured vessels, and ongoing studies aim to understand the intracellular and extracellular signals that emanate from Fat1 in cis- and trans-signaling modes. Direct studies of beta-catenin indicate that its expression in VSMCs is required for vascular formation in development and important in adult arterial injury response. Efforts to understand beta-catenin’s essential function in these settings are underway.</p>
<p>Diabetes and obesity are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. We are investigating how allograft inflammatory factor-1 (Aif-1), a 17 kD Ca2+-binding protein contributes to these conditions. Specific Aif-1 isoform-dependent functions that underlie effects on macrophage migration, phagocytosis, survival, and inflammatory signaling are subjects of ongoing studies. Finally, in collaboration with Richard Stanley, we have characterized a role for colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1), the main regulator of macrophage survival, proliferation, and differentiation, in control of transplant-associated arteriosclerosis, the major barrier to long-term success of organ transplants. Surprisingly, this effect appears to involve VSMC-associated CSF-1 in an autocrine/juxtacrine mechanism that is largely independent of macrophages.</p>
<p>Ongoing work in these areas involves defining the molecular bases for these observations. By identifying such novel mechanisms, we hope to find new targets for therapeutic intervention to improve vascular disease prevention and treatment.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 13.7pt 6pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">1.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Riascos-Bernal D, Chinnasamy P, Cao L, Dunaway CM, Valenta T, Basler K, Sibinga, NES. β-Catenin C-terminal signals suppress p53 and are essential for artery formation. <em>Nature Communications, </em>2016 Aug 8;7:12389. PMID: 27499244</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 13.7pt 6pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">2.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Cao L, Riascos-Bernal D, Chinnasamy P, Dunaway C, Pujato M, Fiser A, Sibinga NES. Control of mitochondrial function and cell growth by the atypical cadherin Fat1.<em> Nature</em>, 2016 Nov 9;539(7630):575-578. PMID: 27828948.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 13.7pt 6pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">3.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Riascos-Bernal DF, Chinnasamy P, Gross JN, Almonte V, Egaña-Gorroño L, Parikh D, Jayakumar S, Guo L, Sibinga NES. Inhibition of smooth muscle β-catenin hinders neointima formation after vascular injury. <em>Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, </em><span style="font-family: Times;">2017 May;37(5):879-888. PMID: 28302627.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 13.7pt 6pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">4.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;">Egaña-Gorroño L, Chinnasamy P, Casimiro I, Almonte VM, Parikh D, Oliveira-Paula<sup> </sup>GH, Jayakumar S, Law C, Riascos-Bernal DF, Sibinga NES. Allograft Inflammatory Factor-1 Supports Macrophage Survival and Efferocytosis and Limits Necrosis in Atherosclerotic Plaques. <em>Atherosclerosis</em>, 2019 Oct;289:184-194. PMID: 31439353.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 13.7pt 6pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">5.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;">Becher T, Riascos-Bernal DF, Kramer DJ, Almonte VM, Chi J, Tong T, Oliveira-Paula GH, Koleilat I, Chen W, Cohen P, Sibinga NES. Three-Dimensional Imaging Provides Detailed Atherosclerotic Plaque Morphology and Reveals Angiogenesis after Carotid Artery Ligation. Circ Res. 2020 Feb 28;126(5):619-632. PMID: 31914850. PMCID: PMC7047629.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 4.3pt 6pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">6.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Parikh D, Riascos-Bernal DF, Egaña-Gorroño L, Jayakumar S, Almonte V, Chinnasamy P, Sibinga NES. Allograft inflammatory factor-1-like is not essential for age dependent weight gain or HFD-induced obesity and glucose insensitivity. <em>Sci Rep.</em> 2020 Feb 27;10(1):3594. PMID: 32107417. PMCID: PMC7046694.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 4.3pt 6pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">7.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chen W, Fitzpatrick J, Sozio SM, Jaar BG, Estrella MM, Riascos-Bernal DF, Wu TT, Qiu Y, Kurland IJ, Dubin RF, Chen Y, Parekh RS, Bushinsky DA, Sibinga NES. Identification of Novel Biomarkers and Pathways for Coronary Artery Calcification in Nondiabetic Patients on Hemodialysis Using Metabolomic Profiling. Kidney360. 2021 February;2(2):279-289. PubMed PMID: 34723191; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8553022; DOI: 10.34067/kid.0004422020.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 13.7pt 6pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">8.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Almonte VM, Uriyanghai U, Egaña-Gorroño L, Parikh D, Oliveira-Paula GH, Zhang J, Jayakumar S, Riascos-Bernal DF, Sibinga NES. PLX3397, a CSF1 receptor inhibitor, limits allotransplantation-induced vascular remodeling. <em>Cardiovasc Res.</em> 2021 Sep 3:cvab289. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvab289. Online ahead of print. PMID: 34478521.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 13.7pt 6pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">9.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Lituma PJ, Woo E, O’Hara BF, Castillo PE, Sibinga NES, Nandi S. Altered synaptic connectivity and brain function in mice lacking microglial adapter protein Iba1. <em>Proc Nat Acad Sci U S A. 2021</em>, Nov 16;118(46):e2115539118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2115539118. PMID: 34764226. PMCID: PMC8609554.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 13.7pt 6pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">10.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Riascos-Bernal DF, Maira A, Sibinga NES. The Atypical Cadherin FAT1 Limits Mitochondrial Respiration and Proliferation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells. <em>Front Cardiovasc Med.</em> 2022 May 11;9:905717. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.905717. PMID: 35647082</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 13.7pt 6pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">11.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;">Parikh D, Jayakumar S, Oliveira-Paula GH, Almonte V, Riascos-Bernal DF, Sibinga NES. Allograft inflammatory factor-1-like is a situational regulator of leptin levels, hyperphagia, and obesity. <em>iScience</em>. 2022 Sep 3;25(10):105058. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105058. eCollection 2022 Oct 21. PMID: 36134334 </span></p>
Jooyoung (Julia) Shin
<p align="left" style=" word-break: normal; text-align: left;"><span style=" color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Clinical cardiology, specifically end-stage congestive heart failure, mechanical circulatory support, and cardiac transplantation.  </span></p>
Dr. Shin's clinical focus is on caring for patients with heart failure, particularly providing expertise in advanced heart failure, heart transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support.
Heart failure treatment is the primary focus of Dr. Shin’s research. She is the site principal investigator for the effectiveness of omecamtiv mecarbil/AMG 423 to treat chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (GALACTIC-HF) and multiple cardiac sensors for the management of heart failure (MANAGE-HF) trials.
<p>Jooyoung Julia Shin, MD, is Fellowship Director, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship Program and Associate Professor, Medicine at Montefiore Einstein. Dr. Shin’s clinical focus centers on heart failure, cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support.</p><p>After obtaining her Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan in 1994, Dr. Shin earned her Doctor of Medicine at George Washington University in 1999. She completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Maryland in 2002 before completing a cardiovascular disease fellowship at Emory University in 2005. Following this, Dr. Shin remained at Emory to complete an additional fellowship in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology in 2006.</p><p>Dr. Shin’s research focuses on fellow education. She has been principal investigator and co-principal investigator on several funded research projects, and she has presented at invited lectures nationwide. Her work has also been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and she has been a reviewer for scientific publications, including the <em>Mayo Clinic Proceedings</em>, the <em>American Journal of Cardiology</em> and <em>Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology</em>, among others.</p><p>Dr. Shin is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine and Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology. She is a member of the American College of Cardiology and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.</p>
Adarsha Selvachandran
Scott J. Schafler
Evelyn M. Rondinel
Judah N. Rauch
<span style="color:#4d4d4d;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, source-code-pro, Menlo, Monaco, Consolas, 'Courier New', monospace;font-size:16px;background-color:#ffffff;">Dr. Rauch's clinical focus is on the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease. He has a particular interest in the care of patients with acute coronary syndromes, cardiogenic shock and complex coronary disease.</span>
<p><span style="color:#4d4d4d;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, source-code-pro, Menlo, Monaco, Consolas, 'Courier New', monospace;font-size:16px;background-color:#ffffff;">Dr. Rauch’s research builds on his clinical interests and is focused on bringing large, multi-site clinical trials to Montefiore, affording patients the opportunity to benefit from new and innovative therapies.</span></p>
<p>Judah Nathaniel Rauch, MD, is an Interventional Cardiologist at Montefiore and Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine. His clinical focus is on the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease. He has a particular interest in the care of patients with acute coronary syndromes, cardiogenic shock and complex coronary disease.</p><p>Dr. Rauch earned his Bachelor of Arts at Yeshiva University in 2006, followed by his Doctor of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine in 2010. He began his postdoctoral training at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, completing a residency in internal medicine in 2013, serving as chief resident in 2014 and completing a fellowship in cardiovascular disease in 2017. In 2018, he completed an interventional cardiology fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center; he received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts in the same year.</p><p>Dr. Rauch’s research builds on his clinical interests and is focused on bringing large, multi-site clinical trials to Montefiore, affording patients the opportunity to benefit from new and innovative therapies.</p><p>Dr. Rauch is board certified in interventional cardiology, cardiovascular disease and internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine.</p>