Executive Team Members

Dr. Prasanna Krishnamurthy is an educator and researcher with >20 years of academic experience. He has diverse research background and expertise in application of cell and molecular biology, immunology, toxicology and pathology in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, diabetes, sepsis and tissue remodeling. Dr. Krishnamurthy has published (>80) peer-reviewed original research and review articles in reputed scientific journals and served on numerous National/International research grant review committees. He has successfully mentored numerous trainees, including- postdoctoral fellows, undergraduate and graduate students, junior faculty and volunteers, who went on to pursue careers in academia and industry. Interests outside of research include philanthropy, mountain biking, creativity and nature.

Dr. Sanjiv Dhingra is an accomplished scientist with research expertise in regenerative medicine and immunology in the areas of metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and drug induced cardiomyopathies. He employs stem cells and biomaterials-based approaches for tissue regeneration and repair. Dr. Dhingra has published several papers in prominent journals in the area of stem cell therapy, biomaterials synthesis, tissue engineering, inborn metabolic disease modeling and drug development. He has served as Editor, Editorial Board Member and Adhoc Reviewer for several journals in the area of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Dr. Dhingra also serves as Reviewer and Member of Advisory Committees for different granting agencies. He has trained a number of postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, who are now well placed at different levels in academia and industry. Dr. Dhingra has been actively involved in promoting the field of stem cell therapy and tissue engineering. He has organized several national and international conferences and symposia. He has been recognized nationally and internationally for his efforts in promoting research.

Dr. Jack Wong is an Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at CUHK. His research interests include vascular and metabolic biology, stem cell biology, and cardiovascular regeneration. He has published over 100 research papers and review articles in vascular medicine and biology in high impact journals. He is currently an Associate Editor for Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology. He has also served as a peer review committee member for the American Heart Association (AHA) study sections and an external reviewer for the University of Macau and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Prof. Wong earned his PhD in Physiology from CUHK in 2009 and received postdoctoral training at Stanford University.

Dr. Johnson is a Professor in the Department of Bioscience Research, Department of Medicine-Cardiology and Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Biochemistry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis. Dr. Johnson trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, and Northwestern University before accepting an appointment as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2008. His research interest is focused on novel strategies to enhance the therapeutic benefits of stem cells in regenerative medicine particularly repairing the heart, lung and oral tissues. Currently, the lab is involved in reprogramming somatic cells (normal and patient) by utilizing a safe approach using mRNA of pluripotent factors to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and further differentiating into various kinds of cells including Cardiomyocytes, Odontoblasts, Osteoblasts and Mesenchymal Stem Cells. The team is looking into Epigenetic mechanisms of somatic cell reprogramming and developing an exosome-based therapy as an alternative viable cell-free source for heart regeneration.

Dr. Verma grew up in Varanasi, a holy city in India, and attended the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), India, receiving a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. After postdoctoral training, first at Texas A&M University and then Northwestern University School of Medicine, he joined Temple University, Philadelphia, as an Assistant Professor. In 2018, he moved to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Department of Medicine-CVD, as an Associate Professor. His laboratory unveiled the signaling pathways responsible for pathological cardiac growth and heart failure. He has published many peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals. His laboratory uses state-of-the-art techniques to discover the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Verma received many honors and awards from American Heart Association, and his lab received funding from AHA and NIH. In his spare time, Dr. Verma likes to spend time with his family.

Dr. Danish Sayed is an Associate Professor in the department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine at Rutgers NJMS, located in the heart of Newark, NJ. Dr. Sayed attained his medical license in India, before pursuing his PhD and postdoctoral training in Molecular Cardiology at University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ. Dr. Sayed’s research interests include understanding the transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms of gene regulation in heart. His lab focuses on deciphering the transcriptional code and patterns that are involved in Global and GR–dependent gene expression in heart, and then by systematic deconstruction of the transcriptional machinery examine its role and implications in cardiac failure.

Dr. Wu is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Medicine and completed a Cardiology residency in China before moving to Germany, where she received her M.D. and her Ph.D. in cell biology. Her postdoctoral training was in the laboratory of Dr. Hossein Ardehali at Northwestern University with funding from an American Heart Association (AHA) fellowship and an AHA Scientist Development Grant Award. Since accepting her position at the University of Chicago, she has been supported by a Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) grant from Chicago DRTC and NIH RO1. Her main interest focuses on how cardiac microvascular function adapts to pathophysiological stresses such as cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury, diabetes, and sepsis.