Masonic Medical Research Institute has welcomed a new associate professor to their organization to start a new lab that will focus on coronary blood flow and cardiovascular medicine. 

“So this is our electrophysiology lab at MMRI. So this helps my research in particular because I'm very interested in understanding ion channel function and how different electrical signals across different cell types regulate the function of a tissue,” said Matthew Nystoriak, associate professor for Masonic Medical Research Institute.

Nystoriak is focusing on examining blood flow through the heart muscle and its pumping efficiency.

“We'll actually record different currents or voltage across the membrane of a single cells using these set ups. And these are important because these signals are really central to how a cell in the cardiovascular system works,” Nystoriak said. 

Nystoriak says heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., so his research is focused on understanding how various lifestyle and environmental factors affect the heart and blood vessels. 

“And so one of our projects actually looks at how exposure to different chemicals that are in tobacco products like e-cigarettes actually could influence electrical signals in the heart and may lead to long term detrimental effects,” Nystoriak said.

Coming from the University of Louisville in Kentucky, he believes the Masonic institute has a lot to offer when it comes to advancing his research.

“And the different type of expertise that people have here in imaging, nano medicine and things like that can really add a new dimension to this work and it really can expand it out and really take it in an exciting new direction," Nystoriak said.