Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – Vishwa Rajagopalan, Ph.D., an associate professor of biomedical and anatomical sciences at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM at A-State), has been awarded a significant grant from the National Institutes of Health.

This funding will further his research regarding the impact thyroid dysfunction has on cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of death in the United States.

The NIH R15 grant totals $573,750 and will allow Rajagopalan to expand his cardiovascular research program at NYITCOM at A-State. His most recent grant will specifically look at how thyroid hormones affect heart health, focusing on the key role played by molecules called non-coding RNAs.

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“Thyroid dysfunction is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and, in some patient populations, a higher rate of deaths,” Rajagopalan said. “The available treatment modalities alone can be insufficient to manage the complex cardiovascular disease. The intent of this project is to better understand the molecular mechanisms and biomechanics of what’s happening so we can find novel and safe RNA-based therapies and improve treatments for CVD.”

Rajagopalan conducts his research at the Arkansas Biosciences Institute on the Arkansas State University campus. Medical students from NYITCOM and biological sciences and engineering students at A-State will also have the opportunity to work with him on this project. Robert “Drew” Fleming, Ph.D., an associate professor of mechanical engineering at A-State, will work alongside Rajagopalan as a significant contributor on the project.

“Our research faculty continue to do outstanding work, and we’re delighted to once again see that recognized through significant federal funding,” said Shane Speights, D.O., dean of NYITCOM at A-State. “Congratulations to Dr. Rajagopalan on yet another well-deserved award.”

Earlier this year, Rajagopalan was named a Fellow of the American Heart Association in recognition of his work in cardiovascular research. Rajagopalan joined NYITCOM in 2012 and moved to Jonesboro in 2016 upon the opening of the school’s Arkansas location.

He began his career at the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, where India’s heart transplant program was pioneered, and he obtained comprehensive general and cardiothoracic clinical training and earned a degree from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS).

Before joining NYIT, he completed his postdoctoral training at the Stanford University Medical Center. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R15HL173850. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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