DNA photo
  Children's Hospital Research  Children's Hospital Labs
Douglas Cowan, PhD  Children's logo  Harvard logo
 Douglas B. Cowan, PhD
 X  X
Lomographic self portrait.
   Department  Anesthesiology
   Hospital Title  Research Associate
   Academic Title  Assistant Professor
   Phone  617-919-2655
   Fax  617-730-0235
   Email  Douglas Cowan
   Location  300 Longwood Avenue
Enders Room 1220
Boston, MA 02115
Research Overview

Doug Cowan is interested in the molecular and cellular biology of the cardiovascular system and is using engineered tissue containing stem cells to improve heart function.

Current projects in his laboratory include:

  • Cardiac Conduction through Engineered Tissue
    Autologously-derived engineered tissue is being developed to act as an electrical conduit in the heart for use in patients that lack normal atrio-ventricular node function. Ultimately, Dr. Cowan and colleagues hope to provide a realistic, alternative treatment to conventional cardiac pacemaker therapy.


  • Adult Stem Cell Culture
    The development of methods to expand and control the differentiation of adult tissue-derived stem cells is essential to determine their regenerative and reparative potential for treatment of cardiac and skeletal muscle disorders. Dr. Cowan's studies are designed to advance cell-based therapies for a variety of human diseases.
About Douglas B. Cowan

Douglas Cowan received his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1994. He was a Fellow of the Medical Research Council of Canada at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital before moving to Children's Hospital Boston in 1998.

Dr. Cowan is the recipient of several awards and honors including the Stuart Alan Hoffman Award for Research Excellence.

Key Publications
  • Cowan DB, McGowan FX. A Paradigm Shift in Cardiac Pacing Therapy? Circulation 2006; 114: 986-988.

  • Choi YH, Stamm C, Hammer PE, Kwaku KF, Marler JJ, Friehs I, Jones M, Rader CM, Roy N, Eddy MT, Triedman JK, Walsh EP, McGowan FX, del Nido PJ, Cowan DB. Cardiac Conduction through Engineered Tissue. The American Journal of Pathology 2006; 169: 72-85.

  • Bayliss PE, Bellavance KL, Whitehead GG, Abrams JM, Aegerter S, Robbins HS, Cowan DB, Keating MT, O'Reilly T, Wood JM, Roberts TM, Chan J. Chemical Modulation of Receptor Signaling Inhibits Regenerative Angiogenesis in Adult Zebrafish. Nature Chemical Biology 2006; 2: 265-273.

  • Cowan DB, Jones M, Garcia LM, Noria S, del Nido PJ, McGowan FX. Hypoxia and Stretch Regulate Intercellular Communication in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells through Reactive Oxygen Species Formation. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 2003; 23: 1754-1760.

  • Cowan DB, Noria S, Stamm C, Garcia LN, Poutias DN, del Nido PJ, McGowan FX. Lipopolysaccharide Internalization Activates Endotoxin-dependent Signal Transduction and Gene Expression in Cardiomyocytes. Circulation Research 2001; 88: 491-498.

 X  X