Prof. Dr. med. Francesco Paneni

Area of Research

Description of Research Interest

By combining molecular imaging, state-of-the-art molecular biology approaches, genetic mouse models and human cohorts, my lab investigates the role of epigenetic changes in different aspects of experimental and translational cardiology, including environmental stress (early life stress, metabolic stress, pollution), heart failure, as well as obesity and diabetes-induced micro- and macrovascular dysfunction. The study of gene-environment interactions in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and the potential application of epi-drugs is a major focus of my research.

Special Expertise

- Epigenetic changes (DNA methylation, chromatin modifications, non coding RNAs)
- Cardiometabolic disease (obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance)
- Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (experimental models and human cohorts)
- Environmental factors (early life stress, pollution)  
- Aging (epigenetic clock, mitochondrial function)
- Inflammation 
- Cardiac imaging in mice and humans 
-Epigenetic biomarkers 

Shareable Platforms, Services, Equipment & Infrastructure

-Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays
-Methylation-based epigenetic clock
-Single nuclei RNAseq 
-Isolation and culture of primary cells 
-Bioinformatic analyses 
-Mouse echocardiography
-Invasive assessment of cardiac pressures in mice
-Exercise tolerance test in mice

 

Member of Collaborative/interdisciplinary Research Consortia

Flagship Projects "STRESS" (project partner): https://www.hochschulmedizin.uzh.ch/de/projekte/stress.html