Columbia University Medical Center MD-PhD Program

Andrew R. Marks, MD

Academic Appointments

Clyde '56 and Helen Wu Professor of Molecular Cardiology (in Medicine)
Professor of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics

Current Administrative Positions

Chair, Physiology and Cellular Biophysics

A major focus of the laboratory is the study of mechanisms that regulate muscle contraction. In particular we use a variety of techniques including molecular biology, biophysics, cell biology, imaging (Live5 Zeiss Confocal), and structural biology to gain better understandings of the regulation of calcium release channels on the sarcoplasmic reticulum that control excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in cardiac and skeletal muscle. There are opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to head their own projects using any of the various techniques that we employ to examine the regulation of calcium signaling and muscle function in normal and diseased states. In addition the laboratory has developed numerous genetic mouse models (primarily knock-ins and knock-outs) that are available to address specific questions concerning the regulation of key signaling pathways that control muscle contraction - in both cardiac and skeletal systems. Much of the work in the laboratory is "translational" in that it leads directly to understanding the molecular basis of human diseases including heart failure and sudden cardiac death. In addition, novel therapeutic approaches are being tested including those that fix the "leak" in the RyR2 calcium release channel that causes heart failure and sudden cardiac death. In addition, there are projects focusing on gaining better understandings of cardiac muscle growth and excitability, T cell and B cell activation, as well as vascular smooth muscle proliferation. The latter project has lead directly to the development of the drug eluting stents that are currently used for patients with coronary artery disease.

Molecular biology of intracellular calcium release channels and their relevance to human disease.

Departments and Divisions

Department of Medicine
Division of Cardiology
Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics

Centers / Institutes / Programs

Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center

NIH Grants

TRAINING IN CARDIOVASCULAR TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH (Federal Gov)
Jan 1 2019 - Dec 31 2023
STRUCTURE-FUNCTION ANALYSIS FOR ELUCIDATING PATHOGENICITY OF CARDIAC RYANODINE RECEPTOR GENETIC VARIANTS (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2019 - Apr 30 2023
RYANODINE RECEPTOR DEFECTS IN CARDIOMYOPATHY CAUSED BY LAMIN A/C GENE MUTATIONS (Federal Gov)
Apr 4 2019 - Mar 31 2023
CALCIUM AND THE PHYSIOLOGY OF DIABETES (Federal Gov)
May 1 2019 - Feb 28 2023
SUMMER PROGRAM FOR UNDER REPRESENTED STUDENTS (SPURS) (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2017 - Mar 31 2022
EXPLORING THE MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (Federal Gov)
Dec 1 2017 - Nov 30 2021
(PQ#9) TARGETING LEAKY RYANODINE RECEPTOR (RYR2) TO TREAT AND PREVENT CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER (Federal Gov)
May 1 2016 - Apr 30 2021
(PQ#9) TARGETING LEAKY RYANODINE RECEPTOR (RYR2) TO TREAT AND PREVENT CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER (Federal Gov)
May 1 2016 - Apr 30 2020
TRAINING IN CARDIOVASCULAR TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH (Federal Gov)
Jan 1 2014 - Dec 31 2019
(PQ#9) TARGETING LEAKY RYANODINE RECEPTOR (RYR2) TO TREAT AND PREVENT CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER (Federal Gov)
May 1 2016 - Apr 30 2019
EXPLORING THE ROLE OF THE DIAPHRAGM RYANODINE RECEPTORS IN HUNTINGTON S DISEASE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (Private)
Feb 1 2018 - Jan 31 2019
TRAINING IN CARDIOVASCULAR TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH (Federal Gov)
Jan 1 2014 - Dec 31 2018
TRAINING IN CARDIOVASCULAR TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH (Federal Gov)
Jan 1 2014 - Dec 31 2018
TRAINING IN CARDIOVASCULAR TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH (Federal Gov)
Jan 1 2014 - Dec 31 2018
EXPLORING THE ROLE OF RYANODINE RECEPTORS IN HUNTINGTON S DISEASE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (Private)
May 1 2016 - Apr 30 2018
MOLECULAR BASIS OF HEART FAILURE (Federal Gov)
Aug 15 2012 - Jan 31 2018
RYCAL TREATMENT IN RYR1-RM PATENT MYCTUBES (Private)
Feb 1 2016 - Jan 31 2018
CALCIUM LEAK-DEPENDENT MUSCLE FUNCTION LOSS IN AGED C. ELEGANS (Federal Gov)
Jan 1 2016 - Dec 31 2017
MOLECULAR BASIS OF HEART FAILURE (Federal Gov)
Aug 15 2012 - Jul 31 2017
MOLECULAR BASIS OF HEART FAILURE (Federal Gov)
Aug 15 2012 - Jul 31 2017
SUMMER PROGRAM FOR UNDER REPRESENTED STUDENTS (SPURS) (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2012 - Mar 31 2017
SUMMER PROGRAM FOR UNDER-REPRESENTED STUDENTS (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2012 - Mar 31 2017
SUMMER PROGRAM FOR UNDER-REPRESENTED STUDENTS (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2012 - Mar 31 2017
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE RYANODINE RECEPTOR (Private)
Oct 1 2015 - Oct 31 2016
GENOMIC,EPIGENOMIC AND SYSTEMS DISSECTION OF MECHANISMS UNDERLYING DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY (Private)
Oct 1 2011 - Sep 30 2016
MACROMOLECULAR LOCAL SIGNALING COMPLEXES (Federal Gov)
Aug 1 2015 - Jul 31 2016
NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES TO ATRIAL FIBRILLATION TARGETING INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM LEAK (Federal Gov)
Jul 15 2011 - Apr 30 2016
INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM LEAK AND MUSCLE FUNCTION (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2010 - Apr 30 2016
2011 SENIOR SCHOLAR AWARDS IN AGING (Private)
Nov 1 2011 - Oct 31 2015
ANALYZING RYANODINE RECEPTOR IN DYSFERLIN DEFICIEINT SKELETAL MUSCLE (Private)
Jul 1 2015 - Sep 30 2015
INHIBITING RESTENOSIS WHILE PRESERVING ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION: A MICRORNA-BASED DETARGETING APPROACH (Private)
Jul 1 2013 - Jun 30 2015
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE RYANODINE RECEPTOR (Private)
Oct 1 2006 - Sep 30 2014
RYR1-MEDIATED SR CA2+ LEAK AND MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION IN MUSCULAR DYSTROPHIES (Private)
Jul 1 2011 - Jun 30 2013
ALLOSTERIC MODULATION OF CARDIOVASCULAR ION CHANNELS (Federal Gov)
Sep 1 2007 - Apr 30 2013
MOLECULAR BASIS OF SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2001 - Mar 31 2013
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TRAINING IN TRANSLATIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR R ESEARCH (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2007 - Mar 31 2013
MOLECULAR BASIS OF SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2001 - Mar 31 2013
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TRAINING IN TRANSLATIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2007 - Mar 31 2013
DDCF CU11-1253 SUMMER PROGRAM FOR UNDER REPRESENTED STUDENTS (Private)
May 1 2011 - Aug 31 2012
AGING AND ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: THE ROLE OF ATRIAL MYOCYTE IN TRACELLULAR CA2+ DYNAMICS (Federal Gov)
May 1 2011 - Dec 31 2011
SUMMER PROGRAM FOR UNDER-REPRESENTED STUDENTS (Federal Gov)
Jun 1 2010 - Aug 31 2011
REGULATION OF VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE CELL PROLIFERATION (Federal Gov)
May 1 2008 - Apr 30 2011
ION CHANNELS AS NOVEL THERAPEUTIC TARGETS FOR ASTHMA (Private)
Jul 1 2007 - Jun 30 2010
PROBING THE NEURAL CIRCUITRY OF DECEPTION (Federal Gov)
Aug 15 2005 - May 14 2009
ALLOSTERIC SITE STRUCTURES OF THE CARDIAC CA2+ RELEASE CHANNELS--RYANODINE RECEPTORS TYPE II -- RYR2 (Private)
Jul 1 2006 - Jun 30 2008