Warren Lab

The Warren Lab decodes heart failure's metabolic reprogramming, exploring key regulators and compensatory mechanisms through multi-omics analysis using TQ-GCMS and qTOF-HPLC systems.

The Warren Lab studies the mechanisms underlying metabolic reprogramming in the failing heart. In particular, the lab is interested in identifying the key regulators that orchestrate metabolic remodeling under pathological stress, such as a high blood pressure or loss of heart muscle due to myocardial infarction. Using a multi-systems view of metabolism regulation, combining multiple–omics techniques with precise delineation of specific regulatory circuits, the lab aims to decode the heart's compensatory mechanisms and why they eventually fail.

The Warren Lab operates the TQ-GCMS and qTOF-HPLC systems to perform targeted and untargeted metabolomic analysis of biological samples. On-going projects include 1) metabolomic profiling of plasma samples from patients with heart failure and diabetes, 2) role of Perm1 in cardiac function and energy metabolism, and 3) novel therapeutic strategy to treat myopathy in heart failure-induced cardiac cachexia.

Laboratory Equipment

Warren Laboratory

The laboratory is housed in the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC (FBRI). Dr. Warren’s lab space is approx. 1210 sq. ft, including six laboratory benches, six desks, and three alcove rooms. Her main laboratory houses Nexera 40 Series HPLC system, Thermo Fisher Savant SpeedVac Integrated Vacuum Concentrator system, Omini Bead Ruptor, and Bio-rad Trans-Blot Turbo Transfer system. Additionally, a shared equipment corridor houses storage freezers, liquid nitrogen storage, and bacterial culture equipment. Warren’s lab has a dedicated -80 and -20 freezers. An empty -80 freezer is reserved as a temporary storage freezer for periodic defrost cycles performed by different laboratories.

The first alcove room houses a chemical fume hood. The second alcove room is intended for BSL-2 certification and houses mammalian cell culture equipment with a Labconco Class II Type A2 6’ biosafety cabinet, Invitrogen Countess 3 automated cell counter, Fisher Scientific HERA VIOS 160I CO2 incubator, and a Nikon Eclipse Ts2 inverted microscope for cell culture. The third alcove room houses Warren lab’s Shimadzu GCMS-TQ8050 NX EI/CI/NCI mass-spectrometer and FBRI Core Agilent 6545 qTOF UHPLC-MS system. Both MS systems are operated under the supervision of Dr. Warren.

Other Warren Lab Equipment provided by FBRI: An Eppendorf 5804R refrigerated centrifuge; a complete Biorad CFX96 real-time PCR system.

Office Space

Dr. Warren’s office is 146 sq. ft and located down the hall from his laboratory. Each member of her staff will be assigned one space either in Open Office 2211 or in Bullpen 2301. The lab space has also 6 write-up desks which can be used by summer and undergraduate students.

Principal Investigator