David M. Kurtz, D.V.M., Ph.D. is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (1989) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Molecular and Cellular Pathology Graduate Program (1998). Dr. Kurtz's doctoral training was under the direction of Dr. Philip A. Wood (UAB) and focused on the molecular mechanisms of fatty acid oxidation in disease and provided training in molecular biology, including the development and use of transgenic and "knockout" mouse models. This SERCA application will allow Dr. Kurtz to receive additional research training to ensure a successful transition to independent investigator. Dr. Kurtz will analyze the molecular mechanisms behind the role of estrogen in lipid metabolism. The basis for this proposal comes from initial studies by the sponsor which found a dramatic gender influence in the cellular homeostatic response to perturbations of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (mFAO). The aims of this proposal will test the hypothesis that estrogen exerts transcriptional control on genes involved in cellular fatty acid utilization. The proposed experiments were designed to gain a better understanding of the molecular basis for gender differences in cardiac and hepatic lipid metabolism and to identify molecular targets for the development of therapeutic approaches aimed at gender-influenced human disorders of lipid metabolism such as cardiovascular disease. Washington University School of Medicine is one of the country's leading biomedical research institutions. The sponsor has provided an environment for Dr. Kurtz to continue the study of the molecular basis of metabolic disease using animal models and to extend his training to the area of transcriptional control of genes involved in lipid metabolism. The sponsor, Dr. Daniel P. Kelly, is Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Research and has a strong record in sponsored research and the training of research scientists.
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