Cardiovascular Genomics

Our research focuses on the cells of the vascular wall, exploring their biology, functional roles and involvement in cardiovascular disease processes. We leverage genetics, functional genomics, high-throughput experimental platforms, and bioinformatics to dissect how genetic variation contributes to vascular pathology.

Vascular diseases are the world-wide leading cause of death, and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is a major contributor to the mortality. The implementation of effective therapies to modify risk profiles related to classical environmental and metabolic factors have provided significant decreases in cardiovascular disease, but these modifications only decrease events partially.

The remainder of the risk is attributable to common inherited genetic variation that affects molecular pathways in the vessel wall and have remained largely unidentified and untreated. Our group uses genome-wide association studies as a foundation to study how genetic variation affects genes that mediate disease pathophysiology in vascular cells, and how these genes interact in causal gene regulatory networks and further on modulate disease risk.

Vasculature plays a crucial role in coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular diseases as endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells have been shown to contribute the greatest enrichment of disease heritability. Therefore, we are interested in regions of the genome and genes that modulate endothelial and smooth muscle cell function, and we further aim to understand the interactions between these vascular cell types in disease processes. To achieve this, we combine bioinformatic prioritization methods, high-throughput experimental screens in vivo and in vitro and microfluidic chip systems.

We ultimately aim to unravel novel genes and mechanisms of disease that can be targeted with new therapies. In larger picture, characterization of the vascular disease network will advance our understanding of the disease mechanisms by which these cell types in the vascular wall control the disease risk.

Affiliated Group Leader

Markus Ramste

MD, PHD, ACADEMY CLINICAL RESEARCH FELLOW, PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

markus.ramste@wri.fi

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Current Group members

Markus Ramste, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator
Nuutti Lahtinen, MSc, PhD Student
Tuulia Niittuinperä, BSc, MD/PhD Student
Sonja Huhdanpää, MSc, PhD Student
Elias Kujanpää, MD Student

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