Robert J. Gropler, MD
Professor of Radiology, Medicine and Biomedical Engineering | Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology
- Phone: 314-747-3878
- Fax: 314-362-6156
- Email: rgropler@nospam.wustl.edu
Research Interest
Signal Transduction/Hormone Action
Descriptor of Research
Our group has a long history in the study of diabetic heart disease. Our research focuses on two areas. The first is to develop new PET radiopharmaceuticals that permit the noninvasive assay of key myocardial cellular processes such as inflammation and oxidative stress activated by upstream alterations in the pattern of substrate metabolism in the diabetic cardiomyopathy. Our second objective is to provide unique mechanistic insights into how female sex increases the susceptibility to the detrimental consequences of the overdependence on myocardial FA metabolism that characterizes this disease process. In this regard we apply advanced imaging techniques such as PET, MRI, MRS and echardiography to the study of appropriate rodent models of diabetic heart disease as well as diabetic humans.