June 2008 CVC UPBEAT - Brandon Larsen, PhD, has received the Postdoctoral Scientist Best Abstract Award from the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Division of Cardiovascular Pharmacology. Dr. Larsen, an MD/PhD candidate in the College’s Medical Scientist Training Program, received his PhD during the May 16 graduation ceremony and will begin his M3 rotations in July.
He received the award during the Experimental Biology meeting, which was held in San Diego in April.
Dr. Larsen’s abstract, t12- and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids may function as endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors in the human coronary microcirculation, summarizes his studies in the laboratory of David Gutterman, MD, in which he identified a new class of chemical compounds that may regulate blood flow to the human heart’s muscular wall. The heart tissue used in the investigation was obtained from patients undergoing bypass surgery. This work suggests new drug targets that may be used clinically to improve heart function in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Gutterman is the College’s Senior Associate Dean for Research and the Northwestern Mutual Professor of Cardiology.
Additional information on Dr. Larsen’s research and training