The Polo-Parada Lab at the University of Missouri School of Medicine explores how electrical signals form in various parts of the heart, which is crucial for the growth of embryos and the survival of fetuses. Additionally, the lab studies how nanotechnology can be applied in medicine and life sciences.
The heart is the first organ to form during embryogenesis, and its function is critical for the proper development and survival of the embryo. Although some information on ion-transport genes and their protein products in normal and diseased myocardial tissue is available, little is known about the role of cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins during cardiac development or in healthy and diseased adult hearts. By using electrophysiological techniques including patch clamp, intracellular recording field stimulation and recording and more, the lab efforts to elucidate the role of the ECM in the ionic-transport proteins and molecular basis of cardiac regional electrical specialization during development and in the adult heart.
Nanotechnology is fast becoming one of the major areas of research in medicine and life science in general. Its appeal lies in the long dreamt of ability to investigate and manipulate matter at the level of individual atoms and molecules. Nanomedicine is the medical use of molecular-sized particles to deliver drugs, heat, light or other substances to specific cells in the human body. Engineering particles to be used in this way allows detection and/or treatment of diseases or injuries within the targeted cells, thereby minimizing the damage to healthy cells in the body. Dr. Polo-Parada's interest is in the development of nano drug delivery system, nanomaterials for imaging and diagnosis, bio/nano-sensor and nanomaterials for cell/tissue and organ manipulation through cell and molecular techniques and photoacoustic imaging.
Luis Polo-Parada, PhD
Luis Polo-Parada, PhD, is a distinguished figure in the interdisciplinary realms of cellular biology and biomedical engineering. His innovative research pivots around understanding the cellular mechanisms underlying various physiological and pathological conditions, with a keen interest in translational approaches that bridge fundamental research with clinical applications.
Find all Dr. Polo-Parada's publications
The History of Cardiac Electrophysiology
In the 1950s and 1960s, one of Dr. Polo-Parada's mentors, Dr. Jesús Alanís Ramírez, made significant contributions to the understanding of cardiac electrophysiology, and the treatment of heart rhythm disorders, with discoveries in the electrical potential of the His bundle. Read more about Dr. Alanís’ contributions.
