Utica, New York - Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI) is pleased to announce that Tongbin Wu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biomedical Research and Translational Medicine at MMRI, has been awarded a $100,000 research grant from the Saving tiny Hearts Society, in support of his project entitled, “Defining the Role of MYRF in the Pathogenesis of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS).”
The one-year award will support Dr. Wu’s research focused on a severe congenital heart defect in which the left side of the heart does not develop properly. Children born with HLHS often require multiple surgeries early in life, and despite advances in treatment, the condition remains life-threatening. Dr. Wu’s research aims to better understand how mutations in the MYRF gene contribute to the development of HLHS and how endocardium, the inner lining of the heart, during cardiac development might disrupt function of the left side of the heart.
“Support from the Saving tiny Hearts Society will allow us to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying congenital heart diseases such as HLHS,” said Dr. Wu. “By improving our understanding of how MYRF regulates heart development, we hope to identify pathways that may eventually lead to improved care and long-term outcomes for these children and families.”