Core Directors

The SDMRC consists of three main cores: the muscle phenotyping and physiology core, the high throughput cell analysis core and the muscle imaging core. Each core has a unique expertise to understand muscle function on a molecular, cellular and organ level. The capabilities of the cores are reflected in the scientific interests of the core leaders. In combination, the scientific and experimental expertise of the three cores gives insights on muscular functions as a whole.

Administrative Core

Ju Chen, PhD Professor of Medicine, UC San Diego Dr. Chen is a Professor, AHA Endowed Chair and Director of Basic Cardiac Research at the School of Medicine, UC San Diego. His research is centered around the molecular basis of cardiac and skeletal myopathy. He is also studying a number of signaling pathways underlying cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Dr. Chen is the SDMRC chair and director of the SDMRC Administrative Core, which provides the overall leadership and management of the Research Core Facilities. More information on the Administrative Core > Contact juchen@ucsd.edu

Muscle Phenotyping & Physiology Core

Samuel R. Ward, PT, PhD Associate Professor in Residence, UC San Diego Samuel R. Ward, PT, PhD is an investigator in the Muscle Physiology Laboratory and faculty in the UC San Diego Departments of Radiology, Orthopaedic Surgery, and Bioengineering. His broad research interests are related to structure-function relationships in skeletal muscle. He is the director of the muscle phenotyping & physiology core, which is designed to evaluate the functional properties of muscles, joints, and whole animals created in model systems by the various Center investigators. More information on the Physiology & Phenotyping Core > Contact Telephone: 858-534-4918 Fax: 858-552-4381 s1ward@ucsd.edu

High Throughput Cell Analysis Core

Lorenzo Puri, MD, PhD Associate Professor, Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute Lorenzo Puri is an Associate Professor at the Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute. His research investigates of the molecular mechanism underpinning the genome reprogramming during cell lineage commitment and terminal differentiation of embryonic and adult stem cells, and during induced pluripotency. He is the director of the high throughput cell analysis core, which is dedicated to the identification, functional and molecular characterization of muscle-derived cell populations of healthy and diseased adult skeletal muscle. More information on the Cell Analysis Core > Contact Telephone: 858-646-3161 Fax: 858-795-5298 lpuri@sanfordburnham.org

Imaging Core

The services of the imaging core have been merged into the Core Microscopy Facility at Scripps and the UC San Diego Microscopy Core facility.

Read also the SDMRC Mission Statement >