The Ashley lab is focused on understanding the integrative function of the heart: how changes in DNA, gene expression and protein signaling integrate to define cellular, organ and organism function.
In particular, we are focused on myocardial adaptation, the process by which the heart adapts to exercise or disease stress.
Worth Noting
Recent publications from the Ashley Lab
Ashley Lab in the news
1st Annual Athlete's Heart, Sudden Death amd Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Conference
Upcoming Seminars
View our current Cardiomyopathy Seminar Series, held each Tuesday at noon
We are systems biologists. We study networks: co-expression networks of gene expression and pathways assembled via text mining of the published literature. We ask questions that can be answered entirely in silico but we also use the wet lab to explore the biology of key genes and signaling modules. We use cell systems for upregulating or silencing genes. We have transgenic models and microsurgical models of disease. We are one of the few labs to place stents in mice. We are also very interested in integrative function at an organ level, investigating basic mechanisms of cardiac contraction and relaxation via pressure-volume loops in large animal models and in patients.
A major part of our effort is focused on the apelin-APJ signaling system. We were among the first to describe the significance of this system for cardiovascular disease. In collaboration with the laboratory of Thomas Quertermous, we investigate the fundamental biology of apelin-APJ. We have contributed data on in vivo biology and have transgenic models which we hope will allow us to understand the true significance of the system. We are actively moving these insights from the bench to the clinic.
We are also interested in human genetic variation. We run the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute tissue bank and use collected samples to study pharmacogenomics in heart failure. In addition to common variation, we are interested in private mutations that cause cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia syndromes within families. This interest leads all the way to the clinic where we run the Stanford Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the number one cause of sudden death in young people and athletes and as a result, we are also very interested in the hearts of athletes.
