Heart Program
Mission
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide. The mission of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute Heart Program, led by Arun Sharma, PhD, is to use stem cell models to investigate the mechanisms of cardiovascular disease and development. In particular, we aim to develop a deeper understanding of cancer drug-induced cardiac toxicity, congenital heart disease and various cardiomyopathies, in an effort to identify novel protective strategies against and treatments for these diseases.
Focus
The Heart Program focuses on the applications of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for studying cardiovascular biology. In particular, we focus on:
- Modeling cardiovascular disease and development "in a dish" with next-generation tissue engineering approaches, including microfluidic organ-chips and cardiac organoids
- Developing high-throughput platforms for screening cardiovascular drug toxicity and efficacy
- Dissecting the genetic mechanisms driving various forms of cardiovascular disease using genome editing and stem cell models
Faculty
Collaborative Research
Heart Program scientists collaborate closely with basic scientists and clinicians in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. Through this collaboration, researchers have access to world-class cardiology expertise. As a high-volume clinical center conducting the most adult heart transplants in the United States, Heart Program scientists also have access to an array of cardiac tissue samples for research purposes.
The Sharma Laboratory is also collaborating with the Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center and iPSC core.
Have Questions or Need Help?
Contact us if you have questions, or wish to learn more about the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute.
Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute
Pavilion, Eighth Floor
8700 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048