Florin Despa, Ph.D. | Saha Cardiovascular Research Center

Education
1988 – 1993: Physics, MSc, University of Bucharest
1993 – 1997: Molecular Physics, PhD, Institute of Physics, Bucharest
1998 – 2000: Natural Sciences, Postdoc, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven
2000 – 2004: Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Postdoc, University of Chicago
Positions
2004 – 2005: Instructor of Research, University of Chicago Medical School
2005 – 2007: Research Assistant Professor, University of Chicago Medical School
2008 - Visiting scientist, Research Center Juelich, Germany
2008 – 2013: Assistant Professor, Pharmacology, University of California, Davis
2013 - 2017 Associate Professor, Pharmacology, University of Kentucky

Research Description:

1. Role of amylin dysregulation in vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (clinical trial)
2. Circulating biomarkers of diabetes-associated microvascular dysfunction
3. Preclinical studies on therapeutic amylin gene modulation to reduce amylin dyshomeostasis

Grants:

1. R01 AG057290: Programming amylin secretion to slow brain aging - an animal model
2. R01AG053999: Role of Systemic Amylin Dyshomeostasis in Alzheimer's Disease
3. R01NS116058: The Amylin Dyshomeostasis Hypothesis of Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID)

Selected Publications:

1. Ly H, Verma N, Wu F, Liu M, Saatman KE, Nelson PT, Slevin JT, Goldstein LB, Biessels GJ, Despa F. Brain microvascular injury and white matter disease provoked by diabetes-associated hyperamylinemia. Ann Neurol. 2017;82, 208-222
2. Liu M, Verma N, Peng X, Srodulski S, Morris A, Chow M, Hersh LB, Chen J, Zhu H, Netea M, Margulies KB, Despa S and Despa F. Hyperamylinemia increases IL-1β synthesis in the heart via peroxidative sarcolemmal injury. Diabetes 2016;65, 2772-83
3. Erickson JR, Pereira L, Wang L, Han G, Ferguson A, Dao K, Copeland RJ, Despa F, Hart GW, Ripplinger CM, and Bers DM, Diabetic Hyperglycemia activates CaMKII and Arrhythmias by O linked Glycosylation. Nature. 2013; 502:372-6
4. Jackson K, Barisone GA, Diaz E, Jin L-W, DeCarli C, and Despa F. Amylin deposition in the brain: a second amyloid in Alzheimer’s disease? Ann Neurol 2013; 74: 517-26
5. Despa S, Margulies K, Chen L, Knowlton A, Havel PJ, Taegtmeyer H, Bers DM, Despa F. Hyperamylinemia contributes to cardiac dysfunction in obesity and diabetes- a study in humans and rats, Circ. Res. 2012; 110: 598-608