August 6-11, 2023
Dr. Alfaidi was invited to give an oral presentation in the "Young Investigators in Cardiovascular Biomechanics and Mechanobiomedicine" at the Biomechanics in Vascular Biology and Disease Gordon Research Conference, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA.

June 18-23, 2023 
Dr. Alfaidi will be a Discussion Leader at the The Atherosclerosis Gordon Research Seminar (Insights into Successfully Obtaining Grants) in Barcelona, Spain.

July, 2022
The Alfaidi Lab officially opened!
Dr. Alfaidi was recruited to be one of the members of the ATVB Journal Digital Strategy Team.

2021
Dr. Alfaidi won of the ATVB Investigator in Training Award.

2020
Dr. AlfaidI won the British Atherosclerosis Society's Young Investigator Award.
Dr. Alfaidi served on the ATVB Early Career Editorial Board.

Intramolecular Pathway(s) of Unstable Atheroma in Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major health problem with co-morbidities and high mortality rates. Despite our advances, we still do not have a curative therapy to CAD. Atherosclerosis, an underlying progressive disease process, can rupture leading to the sudden death or acute myocardial infarction in CAD patients. The instability of coronary atheroma is largely characterized by high mesenchymal content, large necrotic cores, and more pro-inflammation. We previously have identified the major lesion culprit, interleukin-1 beta, in the endothelium of coronary atheroma in patients of CAD. This project aims at understanding the molecular function of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), fate and their contribution to the lesion instability.

Endothelial cell remodeling in Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is increasingly diagnosed in elderly patients who have an increased risk of co-morbid atherosclerosis. Once diagnosed, the median survival rate is 2.5 years with poor prognostic outcomes. The underlying pathology in IPAH is very complex yet has very remarkable characteristics, including endothelial apoptosis, proliferation, EndMT. Pulmonary endothelium plays important roles in IPAH and several lines of evidence demonstrating EndMT formation and inflammation as contributing factors in the pathogenesis of IPAH.

This project aims at determining how and when endothelial remodeling contributes in process of IPAH and how that can be targeted in IPAH patients.

1. Iqbal J, Chamberlain J, Alfaidi M, Hughes M, Alizadeh T, Casbolt H, Evans P, Mann B, Motterlini R, Francis S, Gunn J. Carbon monoxide releasing molecule a1 reduces myocardial damage after acute myocardial infarction in a porcine model. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol.31 May 2021. doi:10.1097/FJC.0000000000001067. PMID: 34328710.

2. Alfaidi M, Acosta CH, Wang D, Traylor JG, Orr AW. Selective role of nck1 in atherogenic inflammation and plaque formation. J Clin Invest. 2020;130:4331-4347. PMID: 32427580.

3. Alfaidi M, Chamberlain J, Rothman A, Crossman D, Villa-Uriol MC, Hadoke P, Wu J, Schenkel T, Evans PC, Francis SE. Dietary docosahexaenoic acid reduces oscillatory wall shear stress, atherosclerosis, and hypertension, most likely mediated via an IL-1-mediated mechanism. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7 (13). PMID: 29960988.

4. Smith SA, Samokhin AO, Alfaidi M, Murphy EC, Rhodes D, Holcombe WML, Kiss-Toth E, Storey RF, Yee SP, Francis SE, Qwarnstrom EE. The IL-1RI Co-Receptor TILRR (FREM1 Isoform 2) Controls Aberrant Inflammatory Responses and Development of Vascular Disease. JACC Basic Transl Sci. 2017;2(4):398-414. PMID: 28920098

5. Alfaidi M, Wilson H, Daigneault M, Burnett A, Ridger V, Chamberlain J, Francis S. Neutrophil elastase promotes interleukin-1beta secretion from human coronary endothelium. J Biol Chem. 2015;290:24067-24078. PMID: 26269588.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Postdoctoral Fellows interested in conducting research in the Alfaidi Lab can contact Dr. Alfaidi at Mabruka.Alfaidi@lsuhs.edu.

Graduate Students

Graduate students interested in conducting research in the Alfaidi Lab can contact Dr. Alfaidi at Mabruka.Alfaidi@lsuhs.edu.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Undergraduate students interested in conducting research in the Alfaidi Lab can contact Dr. Alfaidi at Mabruka.Alfaidi@lsuhs.edu.

Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows

Students, residents and fellows interested in conducting research in the Alfaidi Lab can contact Dr. Alfaidi at Mabruka.Alfaidi@lsuhs.edu.