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Maryland Heart Center

Research Highlights

Biography of Ashwani Khanna, Ph.D., Director of the Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Research Laboratory

Ashwani Khanna, Ph.D., is associate professor of medicine (cardiology) and is Director of the recently opened Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Research Laboratory at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Dr. Khanna received his Ph.D., from the Post graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research at Chandigarh, India (1984) and has since developed a productive research career in basic, experimental and clinical cardiology. He has conducted pioneer studies in understanding the mechanism of beneficial and detrimental effects of currently clinically used immunosuppressive drugs; Cyclosporine (CsA), Tacrolimus (TAC) and Sirolimus (SRL) in organ transplantation.

Currently, Dr. Khanna investigates the effects of cigarette smoke exposure on the immunosuppressive and nephrotoxic effects of CsA, TAC and SRL in animal models of cardiac and renal transplantation. The studies are focused on the role of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and oxidative stress on the development of renal injury and allograft rejection. Besides the use of animal models, various advance molecular biology and proteomic techniques including Real time PCR assays. Dr. Khanna also performs analysis of cytokine genotypes in various patients groups of cardiovascular diseases specifically heart failure patients to determine the role of pro- and anti-inflammatory genes in the development of these disorders. Dr. Khanna is also developing cyclin kinase inhibitor p21 as a potent anti-rejection and anti-atherosclerotic agent, since p21 is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory agents.

Dr. Khanna is very actively involved in the field of organ transplantation. He has served on several committees such as Basic Science and Awards committee of American Society of Transplantation. He has served as NIH review panel and cardiorenal study section of American Heart Association. Dr. Khanna is the recipient of two Young Investigator Awards (1998, 1999) and the 1998 Faculty Development Award of the American Society of Transplant Physicians.

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