2017 M. Irené Ferrer Awardee, Columbia University
Esther Aboodi Assistant Professor of Cardiology (in Medicine) Columbia University Medical Center.
Dr. Elaine Wan is studying the cardiac ion channels and how the modulation of these ion channels in mouse models allow for discovery of novel therapeutic targets for atrial fibrillation and heart failure, both of which are major health problems around the world.
Awarded: $60,000
What is her research on?
Dr. Wan created a novel method of imaging the rhythm of the living heart using an electron microscope, which she is using to study a common and often fatal disturbance in heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation (AF).
Why study AF?
AF weakens the heart muscle, is involved in 158,000 deaths annually, causes 20% of strokes, and impairs brain function due to reduced blood flow.
What did Dr. Wan find?
Dr. Wan has shown that AF causes major changes in the energy-producing units of the heart (mitochondria). She is focusing on correcting these defects in the fibrillating heart to prevent some of the lethal effects of this arrhythmia.
How did the Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine’s grant specifically help her research?
Dr. Wan’s work has been accepted for publication in three of the most prominent journals in medicine, including Nature and the Journal of Clinical Investigation. She has also secured NIH support with two grants, testifying to the importance of her work. She states: “Grants from the Foundation can be life-changing for a scientist’s career and the patients we treat.”
Current Status:
Dr. Wan continues her research on atrial fibrillation, focusing on correcting mitochondrial defects in the fibrillating heart to prevent the lethal effects of this arrhythmia.