Departmental Affiliations
School of Medicine
Joint
Mark Kohr, PhD, researches how male and female hearts differ in response to injury and environmental factors.
Research Interests
Cardiovascular Disease;
Cardiovascular Physiology;
Environmental Cardiology;
Sex Differences;
Redox Biology;
Cellular Biology;
Molecular Biology;
Cellular Signaling;
Protein Oxidation;
Mass Spectrometry & Proteomics;
Electrophysiology;
Fluorescence Microscopy
Additional Links
Experiences & Accomplishments
Education
PhD
The Ohio State University
2009
Overview
Ischemic heart disease is a leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States. Research in the Kohr Laboratory of Cardiovascular Redox Signaling seeks to identify novel, redox-dependent biological mechanisms that reduce ischemic injury in the heart. Current projects center on the protective role of myocardial protein S-nitrosation, with a major focus on sex-specific differences. The female heart is of particular interest, since it is naturally protected from ischemic injury. To investigate these protective mechanisms, we have developed a number of cutting-edge mass spectrometry-based proteomic methodologies to map sites of S-nitrosation and other redox-based modifications, and we use these in tandem with cellular, molecular, and biochemical methods to assess the effects of S-nitrosation on the function, stability, and localization of specific protein targets. We also utilize a number of physiological approaches to evaluate myocardial function, including the Langendorff-perfused heart preparation, in vivo pressure-volume loop analysis, and echocardiography. Additional projects seek to evaluate the impact of environmental toxicants (i.e., arsenic) on myocardial physiology and cardioprotective signaling. By defining female-specific and other protective signaling pathways in the heart, and assessing the potential environmental impact on these pathways, we seek to uncover key therapeutic targets for the treatment of ischemic heart disease in both men and women.
Honors & Awards
Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (2021-2023)
Teaching Excellence Award (Term 4), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (2021)
Fellow of the Cardiovascular Section, American Physiological Society (2020)
Faculty Innovation Fund, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2020-2021)
Cardiovascular Research Grant, WW Smith Charitable Trust (2020-2021)
Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society Inductee, Alpha Chapter (2020)
Teaching Excellence Award (Terms 3 and 4), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (2019)
Teaching Excellence Award (Term 4), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (2018)
Research Project Grant (R01), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (2017-2022)
Seed Grant, Foundation for Gender Specific Medicine (2017-2018)
Teaching Excellence Award (Terms 3 and 4), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (2017)
Mamie Doud Eisenhower Memorial Award, 69th Annual Affair of the Heart, The Women’s Board of the American Heart Association (2017)
Fellow of the American Heart Association, Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Research Council (2016)
Grant-in-Aid Award, American Heart Association (2016-2018)
Early Career Poster Award, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis & Vascular Biology Research Council, American Heart Association Annual Scientific Sessions (2016)
Young Investigator Award Competition Finalist (Senior Category), International Society for Heart Research North American Section Meeting (2014)
Early Career Investigator Event Vice Chair, International Society for Heart Research North American Section Meeting (2014)
Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (2013-2018)
Early Career Investigator Travel Award, XXI World Congress of the International Society for Heart Research (2013)
Beginning Grant-in-Aid Award, American Heart Association (2012-2014)
Gordon Research Seminar Chair, Cardiac Regulatory Mechanisms Gordon Research Conference (2012)
International Poster Presentation Award, International Society for Heart Research North American Section Meeting (2012)
Young Investigator Award Competition Winner (Junior Category), International Society for Heart Research North American Section Meeting (2011)
Best of the American Heart Association’s Specialty Conferences (Abstract), Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions (2011)
Basic Cardiovascular Sciences New Investigator Travel Award, Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions (2011)
Fellows Award for Research Excellence, National Institutes of Health (2011)
Excellence in Basic Research Award, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Department of Pathology (2011)
Early Career Investigator Travel Award, XX World Congress of the International Society for Heart Research (2010)
National Research Service Award, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (2009-2012)
Travel Award, The Ohio State University Department of Physiology and Cell Biology (2009)
D.M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute Poster Presentation Competition Winner, The Ohio State University (2008)
Travel Award, NIH National Graduate Student Research Conference (2008)
D.M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute Oral Presentation Competition Winner, The Ohio State University (2008)
Predoctoral Fellowship Award, American Heart Association (2007-2009)
E.F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum Finalist, The Ohio State University (2007)
D.M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute Travel Award, The Ohio State University (2005)
B.A. awarded with honors, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (2002)
Outstanding Oral Presentation of a St. Mary’s Project in Biology, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (2002)
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (2006-Present)
Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society (1998-2002)
Teaching Excellence Award (Term 4), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (2021)
Fellow of the Cardiovascular Section, American Physiological Society (2020)
Faculty Innovation Fund, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2020-2021)
Cardiovascular Research Grant, WW Smith Charitable Trust (2020-2021)
Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society Inductee, Alpha Chapter (2020)
Teaching Excellence Award (Terms 3 and 4), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (2019)
Teaching Excellence Award (Term 4), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (2018)
Research Project Grant (R01), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (2017-2022)
Seed Grant, Foundation for Gender Specific Medicine (2017-2018)
Teaching Excellence Award (Terms 3 and 4), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (2017)
Mamie Doud Eisenhower Memorial Award, 69th Annual Affair of the Heart, The Women’s Board of the American Heart Association (2017)
Fellow of the American Heart Association, Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Research Council (2016)
Grant-in-Aid Award, American Heart Association (2016-2018)
Early Career Poster Award, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis & Vascular Biology Research Council, American Heart Association Annual Scientific Sessions (2016)
Young Investigator Award Competition Finalist (Senior Category), International Society for Heart Research North American Section Meeting (2014)
Early Career Investigator Event Vice Chair, International Society for Heart Research North American Section Meeting (2014)
Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (2013-2018)
Early Career Investigator Travel Award, XXI World Congress of the International Society for Heart Research (2013)
Beginning Grant-in-Aid Award, American Heart Association (2012-2014)
Gordon Research Seminar Chair, Cardiac Regulatory Mechanisms Gordon Research Conference (2012)
International Poster Presentation Award, International Society for Heart Research North American Section Meeting (2012)
Young Investigator Award Competition Winner (Junior Category), International Society for Heart Research North American Section Meeting (2011)
Best of the American Heart Association’s Specialty Conferences (Abstract), Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions (2011)
Basic Cardiovascular Sciences New Investigator Travel Award, Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions (2011)
Fellows Award for Research Excellence, National Institutes of Health (2011)
Excellence in Basic Research Award, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Department of Pathology (2011)
Early Career Investigator Travel Award, XX World Congress of the International Society for Heart Research (2010)
National Research Service Award, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (2009-2012)
Travel Award, The Ohio State University Department of Physiology and Cell Biology (2009)
D.M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute Poster Presentation Competition Winner, The Ohio State University (2008)
Travel Award, NIH National Graduate Student Research Conference (2008)
D.M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute Oral Presentation Competition Winner, The Ohio State University (2008)
Predoctoral Fellowship Award, American Heart Association (2007-2009)
E.F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum Finalist, The Ohio State University (2007)
D.M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute Travel Award, The Ohio State University (2005)
B.A. awarded with honors, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (2002)
Outstanding Oral Presentation of a St. Mary’s Project in Biology, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (2002)
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (2006-Present)
Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society (1998-2002)
Select Publications
Select publications (from 44 total publications; *Authors contributed equally, #Corresponding author, ^Post-doctoral fellow, &Graduate student, %Undergraduate student):
- Shao, Q.,^ Fallica, J.,^ Casin, K.,& Murphy, E., Steenbergen, C., Kohr, M.J.# Characterization of the sex-dependent myocardial S-nitrosothiol proteome. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 310(4): H505-15; 2016.
- Casin, K.,& Fallica, J., ^ Mackowski, N., Veenema, R.,& Chan, A.%, St. Paul, A.%, Zhu, G., Bedja, D., Biswal, S., Kohr, M.J.# S-nitrosoglutathione reductase is essential for protecting the female heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury. Circ Res. 123(11): 1232-1243; 2018.
- Veenema, R.,& Casin, K.M.,& Sinha, P., Kabir, R., Mackowski, N., Taube, N.,& Bedja, D., Chen, R., Rule, A., Kohr, M.J.# Inorganic arsenic exposure induces sex disparate effects and exacerbates ischemia-reperfusion injury in the female heart. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 316(5): H1053-H1064; 2019.
- Fillmore, N., Casin, K.M.,& Sinha, P., Sun, J., Ma, H., Boylston, J., Noguchi, A., Liu, C., Wang, N., Zhou, G., Murphy, E.,* Kohr, M.J.*,# A knock-in mutation at cysteine 144 of TRIM72 is cardioprotective and reduces myocardial TRIM72 secretion. J Mol Cell Cardiol. S0022-2828(19):30190-30197; 2019.
- Kabir, R.,& Sinha, P., Mishra, S., Ebenebe, O., Taube, N., Oening, C., Keceli, G., Chen, R., Paolocci, N., Rule, A., Kohr, M.J.# Inorganic arsenic induces sex-dependent pathological hypertrophy in the heart. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 320(4): H1321-H1336; 2021. Highlighted in: American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology Podcasts, https://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/inorganic-arsenic-induces-cardiac-hypertrophy/
Projects
S-nitrosation in cell survival and cell death