Annual Report 2002-2003
Research
Collaborating to advance medical science
In 1987, Andrew Connolly, M.D., Ph.D., had a defining moment. "Between my third and fourth year at Harvard Medical School, I took a year off to do cardiovascular research, and it changed my life," he recalled. "From then on, I knew that research would be my life's work." Dr. Connolly completed his internship in surgery and his residency in pathology at the University of California, San Francisco. He joined the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute in 2001, drawn by the opportunity to broaden his horizons in both research and teaching. "I heard about the work being done in cardiovascular biology at the Institute, and I was also excited about collaborating with the research teams at Stanford," he said.
The Research Institute has five labs devoted to different aspects of cardiovascular biology, and researchers meet regularly to share their findings. "There's a great synergy here," said Dr. Connolly. His team also includes Research Associate Mary Ann Fernandez, B.S., who is investigating the molecular genetics of endothelial cell activation in vascular pathology, such as atherosclerosis, and Yukari Okubo, M.D., Ph.D., a dermatologist who is investigating the genetic aspects of psoriasis.
Dr. Connolly is particularly interested in the clinical aspects of cardiovascular health that involve blood vessels, endothelial cells and genes. His main area of investigation is the molecular genetics of endothelial cells, particularly as it relates to inflammation. Endothelial cells line the inner surface of blood vessels throughout the entire body, and because they are at the interface between blood and tissue, they actively regulate development of vascular pathology.
"More support from our community is always welcome," noted Dr. Connolly. "We have the space, we have the equipment, but we need more people. With the cost of living out here, personnel costs are very high, but we can't do our best work without the best people. They are the key to scientific discovery."
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"This is a very exciting time to be working in medical science. We still have big gaps in knowledge, and I am driven every day by intense curiosity. Understanding more about endothelial cells could one day aid in the development of more effective therapies for heart attack, stroke and various inflammatory conditions. At the Research Institute, we are interested in therapeutic targets, but our ultimate goal is to reduce suffering from disease."