Welcome to the Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program (MCRP) in the College of Medicine, University of Arizona.  As an integral part of the Sarver Heart Center, researchers in the MCRP are focused on discovering and disseminating knowledge about the underlying biological and molecular mechanisms of heart and skeletal muscle function and disease and other malfunctions of the cardiovascular system. 

Established in 2006, the core of the MCRP is located on the 3rd floor of the Medical Research Building on the Arizona Health Sciences Center Campus of the University of Arizona. Our efforts emphasize basic and translational research, with the goal of taking basic science discoveries and transforming them into clinical advances in the treatment and prevention of heart and cardiovascular disease.  Investigators from diverse disciplines work together in an “open-lab” atmosphere in the Medical Research Building, an atmosphere that fosters daily interactions and exchange of ideas.  A wide variety of interdisciplinary approaches are currently being used to address questions related to cardiovascular biology including developmental, physiological, cellular and molecular biology, genetics, bioengineering, biochemistry, proteomics, live-cell imaging, computational biology and bioinformatics.

Members of the Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program integrate with the strengths of the broader research environment at the University, including the scientists and clinicians in the Sarver Heart Center whose focus is cardiovascular disease, the wide array of scientists in the adjacent BIO5 research institute, and colleagues and resources in the other focused themes located on the Arizona Health Sciences Center Campus.

To facilitate research for present and future generations, the MCRP provides a strong training environment for undergraduates, medical students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and residents.  Dissemination of new knowledge is made possible by publication in major biomedical journals focused on the cardiovascular system.  The contributions of our faculty to the medical literature can be found on their individual web pages. 

MCRP scientists have made significant discoveries in the areas of heart and skeletal muscle function, angiogenesis, heart failure, atherosclerosis, and various forms of cardiomyopathies.  MCRP research in these areas is funded by the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association and other granting agencies, as well as via private donations.  This website provides a comprehensive view of the people, programs and resources that are the foundation of the Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program.  We hope you enjoy visiting with us.

Henk Granzier, Director