John Konhilas, PhD 

Menopause, gut dysbiosis and cardiovascular and metabolic health outcomes. We are the first group studying how the transition from premenopause to perimenopause to menopause impacts susceptibility to CVD and metabolic health outcomes using a physiologically relevant rodent model of menopause. Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID). Our group studies the close relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and risk for VCID and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). Predicting and mitigating postoperative surgical outcomes and ischemic heart disease. This project uses a top-down approach that is rooted in our clinical observation where treating over 200 human patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with a human placental/amniotic (HPA) tissue graft and/or injection of micronized HPA particulate effectively eliminated post-operative atrial fibrillation. Sarcomere dynamics and crossbridge kinetics. Our lab focuses on the contractile properties of the cardiomyocyte and how this changes with CVD.