Background on Dr. Litsa Kranias
Litsa Kranias, PhD, is working to better understand the complex network of proteins contributing to heart function. As a professor of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, Director of Cardiovascular Biology and Co-Director of the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence, Kranias has dedicated her career to researching cardiac illness and mentoring the next generation of researchers.
Much of Kranias’ research has focused on phospholamban (PLN), a cardiac protein that helps regulate contraction of the heart. However, Kranias and her colleagues discovered that PLN does not act alone—a complex set of proteins, including HAX-1, the heat shock protein 20 (HSP20) and protein phosphatase 1, work together to regulate PLN activity and cardiac contractility.
Kranias embraces her role as teacher and mentor, not only in her lab and her classroom, but in other opportunities as well. She’s the senior advisor of the Early Career Investigators of the American Heart Association Basic Cardiovascular Sciences and the senior faculty advisor of the Early Career Investigators of the International Society of Heart Research North America and of the World Congress. Her role as a mentor is so important that Kranias is a co-principal investigator of a training grant through the NIH. Kranias’ dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed—two years ago, she was awarded the University of Cincinnati Mentorship award.
“I think that a very important aspect of our career is training the next generation of scientists,” said Kranias. “This is probably the biggest legacy we leave behind. The research is important—it will move the field forward—but having scientists to continue that is even more important.”
