Roden Lab - Alumni

Alumni

In addition to the fellows listed here, the Roden lab has collaborated with a number of other labs at Vanderbilt, and many of the clinical cardiology and electrophysiology fellows have worked and published with us.

	Hiroshi Watanabe, MD, PhD Post-doctoral fellow, 2005-2008 Hiroshi trained in clinical and molecular cardiology in Japan before joining the lab in 2005. He worked on the functional consequences of mutations in sodium channel subunits, using heterologous expression and studies in wild-type and genetically-modified mice. He rejoined the faculty at the University of Niigata in 2008.
	Tamara Koopmann, PhD Research fellow, 2008 Tamara worked in the lab for 6 months as an exchange fellow in the Leducq Foundation Network in which her group in Amsterdam and we in Nashville are participants. She worked on the zebrafish as model system for ion channel function.
	Sameer Chopra, MD, PhD Graduate student, 2002-2007 Sameer was an MD-PhD student and joined the lab for his graduate studies in 2002. His thesis work was on the function of sodium channel subunits in zebrafish development and electrophysiology, and he successfully defended in late 2007. He received his medical degree in 2009 and is now doing an Internal Medicine residency at the Brigham and Women's Hospital.
	Andrew Smith, MD Post-doctoral fellow, 2005-2007 Andrew is a pediatric cardiologist who worked on mechanisms underlying variability in response to drug challenge in human subjects as his MSCI project. He is currently a trainee in pediatric critical care at Vanderbilt.
	Brian McBride, PharmD Post-doctoral fellow, 2004-2007 Brian joined the lab after a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical cardiovascular pharmacology. He worked on the role of drug transport molecules in modulating ion channel blocker action. He is currently on faculty at Loyola in Chicago.
	Janey Wang, MS Program Manager, 2004-2006 Janey has a background in genetic epidemiology and in technology administration, and was the manager of the pharmacogenetics programs covering diverse areas such as clinical ascertainment, database management, and functional genomics.
	Rashi Abbas, MD Post-doctoral fellow, 2005-2006 Rashi worked on structure-function relations of cardiac sodium channel mutants. She is currently a cardiologist in practice in Huntsville, AL.
	Ping Yang, PhD Post-doctoral fellow and Research Instructor. 1999-2005 Ping's PhD was in pharmacogenetics and he worked on mechanism underlying transcriptional regulation of ion channel genes and the way in which variable transcription affects human electrophysiology. He is currently working in industry.
	Kai Liu, PhD Graduate student, 2000-2005 Kai worked on mutant cardiac sodium channels and their function, and developed a new approach to characterizing these mutations in mouse models. He received his MBA from Cornell University in 2008 and returned to China with his family, where he has started his own consulting business.
	Chantale Simard, PhD Post-doctoral fellow, 2001-2004 Benoit Drolet, PhD Post-doctoral fellow, 2001-2004 Chantale and Benoit worked on identifying and characterizing the function of common polymorphisms in cardiac ion channels. One study identified a coding region polymorphism that alters C-terminal structure of a cardiac potassium channel, and thereby alters its drug sensitivity. Both are currently faculty members in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Laval in Quebec City.
	Hideaki Kanki, MD, PhD Post-doctoral fellow, 2000-2003 Hideaki worked on trafficking of cardiac potassium channels. His studies identified a key structural motif in the C-terminus of the KCNQ1 channel that is responsible for normal processing of the channel to the cell surface. Mutations in this motif result in failure of KCNQ1 channels to process normally to the cell surface, and thus are a common mechanism for the long QT syndrome, type 1. Hideaki is currently at Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan.
	Joel Temple, MD Pediatric cardiology/Post-doctoral fellow, 2000-2002 Joel worked on studies of electrophysiology in genetically modified mice. He is currently a faculty member in Pediatric Cardiology at the University of Virginia.
	Pat Frias, MD Pediatric cardiology/Post-doctoral fellow, 1999-2000 Pat worked on electrophysiology in genetically modified mice. He is currently a faculty member in Pediatrics (Cardiology) at Emory University.
	Martin Fromm, MD Post-doctoral fellow, 1997-1999 Martin worked on the role of drug transporters in modulating antiarrhythmic drug actions. His studies were the first to demonstrate that inhibition of P-glycoprotein function by quinidine is responsible for the well-recognized, but until then, poorly characterized quinidine-digoxin interaction. Martin is currently Chair of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Clinical Toxicology at the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
	Chern-en Chiang, MD, PhD Post-doctoral fellow, 1997-98 Chiang worked on mutant ion channels and their functional consequences in human subjects. His is currently Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at the National University of Taiwan.
	Marco Alings, MD Post-doctoral fellow, 1997-98 Marco worked on mutant ion channels and their functional consequences in human subjects. He is currently an electrophysiologist in practice in Belgium.
	Dawood Darbar, MD, PhD Post-doctoral fellow, 1994-96 During Dawood's post-doctoral fellowship, he worked on modulation of drug concentrations and drug effects by manipulation of autonomic tone through salt loading or salt deprivation, as well as catecholamine infusion. He went for further training in Cardiology and Clinical Electrophysiology at the Mayo Clinic and is currently Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at Vanderbilt, where he also directs the Arrhythmia Service. His current research focuses on the genetics of atrial fibrillation and its variable responses to drug and other therapies.
	Sabina Kupershmidt, PhD Research Associate, 1994-96 Sabina introduced rigorous molecular techniques to the Roden Laboratory. During her time as a Research Associate, she worked on the cell biology of sodium and potassium channels, and began generating the minK knockout mouse. Sabina is currently Research Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Anesthesiology at Vanderbilt. She continues to collaborate with the Roden Laboratory, and her current research focuses on the cell biology of cardiac potassium channels.
	Anna-Maria Choy, MD Post-doctoral fellow, 1993-94; 1995-97 Anna-Maria worked on human and molecular studies of cardiac potassium channels. Her clinical studies were among the first to definitively show that the period following the conversion of atrial fibrillation is one of very increased risk for QT prolongation and associate arrhythmias. Anna-Maria is currently Associate Professor of Cardiology at the University of Dundee, Scotland.
	David Amlicke, MD Cardiology/Post-doctoral fellow, 1993-94 David worked on regulation of potassium channel expression. He is currently a cardiologist in practice in Nashville.
	Martha Smith, MD Cardiology/post-doctoral fellow, 1992-93 Martha worked on regulation of the QT interval in human subjects by catecholamines. She is currently a cardiologist in practice in Atlanta.
	Larry Selby Graduate student 1991-97 Larry worked on hormonal influences on regulation of ion channel expression.
	Klaus Morike, MD Post-doctoral fellow, 1991-93 Klaus worked on regulation of the QT interval in human subjects. He is currently at the Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie in Tübingen, Germany.
	Scott Wiggins, MD Cardiology/post-doctoral fellow 1992-93 Scott worked on the electrophysiology of cardiac potassium channels. He is currently an electrophysiologist in practice in Louisiana.
	Wilson Wong, MD Cardiology/post-doctoral fellow 1987-91 Wilson worked on molecular and clinical studies of cardiac potassium channel blockers. He is currently a cardiologist in practice in Little Rock.
	Ulrika Birgersdotter, MD Post-doctoral fellow, 1988-89 Riki worked on cardiac potassium channels in human subjects. She is currently Professor of Cardiology at the University of California at San Diego.
	Simonetta dell'Orto, MD Post-doctoral fellow, 1995-96 Simonetta worked on human studies of the QT interval and its response to drug challenge. She is currently a cardiologist in practice in Milan.
	Jacques Turgeon, PhD Post-doctoral fellow, 1987-90 Jacques worked on the sodium channel blockers encainide, flecainide and propafenone, and how their variable and genetically determined drug metabolism influences the outcome of therapy and drug interactions. Jacques is currently Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Montreal; he has served as Dean of the School of Pharmacy and currently directs the Cardiovascular Research Institute.
	Heyo Kroemer, PhD Post-doctoral fellow, 1988-90 Massachusetts General Hospital Heyo worked on cardiovascular pharmacology, focusing on variable and genetically-determined drug metabolism of cardiovascular agents. He is currently Professor of Pharmacology and Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Greifswald, Germany.
	Christian Funck-Brentano, MD Post-doctoral fellow, 1988-89 Christian worked on clinical aspects of cardiovascular pharmacology, focusing in particular on how variable drug metabolism and drug interactions affect the outcomes of antiarrhythmic therapy. He is currently Professor of Medicine and Director of the Clinical Research Center at l'Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris.
	Todd Wisialowski Master's student, biomedical engineering, 1987-90 Todd worked on studies of drug-induced changes in conduction in the intact canine heart. He is currently a Research Associate at Pfizer, Groton, CT.
	Jeffrey Balser, MD, PhD graduate student, 1986-88 Jeff worked on the whole cell electrophysiology of cardiac potassium channels and molecular mechanisms of drug-channel interactions. He is currently Professor of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology and Vice-Chancellor for Health Affairs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Dean of the Vanderbilt Medical School.
	Frank Fish, MD Pediatric cardiology/Post-doctoral fellow, 1987-89 Frank worked on both cellular and clinical studies of arrhythmias and their response to drug therapies. He is currently Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Cardiology) at Vanderbilt.
	Ashok Bajaj, MD Post-doctoral fellow, 1985-86 Ashok worked on mechanisms underlying variable conduction in the intact human heart, and its modulation by sodium channel blockers.
	Kathy Murray, MD Clinical Pharmacology/cardiology fellow, 1985-86 Kathy, the first post-doctoral fellow in the Roden Laboratory, worked on the cellular electrophysiology of antiarrhythmic drug metabolites and their contribution to drug actions in human subjects. Kathy is currently Associate Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at Vanderbilt, where her laboratory focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying ion channel processing, and its relationship to human arrhythmias.

Hiroshi Watanabe, MD, PhD

Tamara Koopmann, PhD

Sameer Chopra, MD, PhD

Andrew Smith, MD

Brian McBride, PharmD

Janey Wang, MS

Rashi Abbas, MD

Ping Yang, PhD

Kai Liu, PhD

Chantale Simard, PhD

Benoit Drolet, PhD

Hideaki Kanki, MD, PhD

Joel Temple, MD

Pat Frias, MD

Martin Fromm, MD

Chern-en Chiang, MD, PhD

Marco Alings, MD

Dawood Darbar, MD, PhD

Sabina Kupershmidt, PhD

Anna-Maria Choy, MD

David Amlicke, MD

Martha Smith, MD

Larry Selby

Klaus Morike, MD

Scott Wiggins, MD

Wilson Wong, MD

Ulrika Birgersdotter, MD

Simonetta dell'Orto, MD

Jacques Turgeon, PhD

Heyo Kroemer, PhD

Christian Funck-Brentano, MD

Todd Wisialowski

Jeffrey Balser, MD, PhD

Frank Fish, MD

Ashok Bajaj, MD

Kathy Murray, MD