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.



• Autologous Mitochondrial Transplantation for Cardioprotection
  This collaborative project is intended to provide a revolutionary, clinically-relevant treatment for myocardial infarction in adults. Accordingly, Dr. Cowan and colleagues are injecting isolated mitochondria into the heart to decrease the extent of ischemia and enhance cardiac functional recovery.

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.