Cardiogenesis: Molecular Mechanisms

Valvuloseptal defects account for the majority of congenital heart defects, which are the most common human birth defect. Down Syndrome, involving trisomy of chromosome 21 affects 1 in 700 live births and causes valvuloseptal heart defects. We will investigate the molecular mechanisms that cause valvuloseptal defects in mouse and human models, including models of Down Syndrome, to understand the sets of genes that when improperly regulated cause syndromic and non-syndromic heart defects.