Robert Gourdie, Ph.D., FAHA, AIMBE
"We want to find how electrical activation of cardiac muscle works and learn lessons from the heart on how to make drugs to improve wound healing."
Studying cell signaling to protect and preserve heart muscle cells
Can we prevent the spread of cell death after an injury?
Without oxygen supplied by blood flow, heart cells die — fast. But while a heart attack may only reduce blood and oxygen to an isolated section of heart cells — causing what’s called hypoxic ischemic injury — those dying cells send signals to their neighbors. Scientists sometimes call this spread of injury signals to nearby healthy tissues a “bystander effect.” But what if there were a way to keep the injury localized to the group of cells that are directly affected by the hypoxic ischemic injury, while allowing the nearby heart muscle cells to remain intact?
Dr. Robert Gourdie studies the subunit proteins, called connexins, that are located in the communication channels, or gap junctions, that connect heart muscle cells.
His laboratory researches how these proteins are involved in electrical excitation, and explores new concepts related to ephaptic coupling. The Gourdie lab also studies how connexin hemichannels are involved in regulating the spread of injury following a heart attack, stroke, or traumatic brain injury. The lab also tests new compounds targeting connexin channels for therapeutic use in wound healing, reducing scarring following breast reconstruction surgery, preventing injury, and applications in treating glioblastomas and drug-resistant cancers.
Dr. Gourdie has a number of patents and patents pending on drugs developed by the laboratory. One of the lab’s drugs, which halves the healing time of venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers, has been licensed to a biotech company and has completed Phase II clinical testing involving more than 250 patients. The FDA has approved pivotal Phase III clinical trials.
gourdier@vt.edu
540-526-2095
R-2008, Riverside 2
- Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund Eminent Scholar in Heart and Reparative Medicine Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
- NIH R35 Outstanding Investigator
- Director, Center for Vascular and Heart Research
- Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, College of Engineering
- Professor, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, School of Medicine
T Mikawa, RG Gourdie. Pericardial mesoderm generates a population of coronary smooth muscle cells migrating into the heart along with ingrowth of the epicardial organ
Developmental biology 174 (2), 221-232, 1996
AW Hunter, RJ Barker, C Zhu, RG Gourdie. Zonula occludens-1 alters connexin43 gap junction size and organization by influencing channel accretion. Molecular biology of the cell 16 (12), 5686-5698, 2005
Rengasayee Veeraraghavan, Gregory S Hoeker, Anita Alvarez-Laviada, Daniel Hoagland, Xiaoping Wan, D Ryan King, Jose Sanchez-Alonso, Chunling Chen, Jane Jourdan, Lori L Isom, Isabelle Deschenes, James W Smyth, Julia Gorelik, Steven Poelzing, Robert G Gourdie. The adhesion function of the sodium channel beta subunit (β1) contributes to cardiac action potential propagation. Elife 7, e37610, 2018
- Medical University of South Carolina
Professor, Regenerative Medicine and CBA
Board of Trustees' Eminent Scholar of Regenerative Medicine
Co-Director, Cardiovascular Developmental Biology Center
- Clemson University
Adjunct Professor, Bioengineering
- University College London: Postdoctoral fellowship, Developmental Biology and Anatomy
- University of Auckland: M.Sc. Cell and Molecular Biology (1st class honors)
- University of Canterbury: Ph.D., Biophysics
- Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund Scholar, (2012 - Present)
- Chair, American Heart Association Regenerative Cell Biology review panel (2010 - 2017)
- Charter member, NIH ESTA Study Section (2004-2009)
- National Institutes of Health CSR College of Reviewers (2010 - Present)
- MUSC Board of Trustees’ Eminent Scholar, 2008–2012
- Prizewinner, Charleston Business Journal Innovator, 2006
- National Science Foundation Early Career Scholar, 1998
- Developing Scholar Award, MUSC Health Sciences Foundation, 1997
- Basil O’Connor Scholar, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, 1996
- British Heart Foundation Fellowship; 1992
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Article ItemTranslational Biology, Medicine, and Health graduate student earns NIH support to explore promising heart finding , article
Zach Williams has been awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award program to pursue study of a synthetic molecule's potential as a therapeutic for heart arrythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Date: Oct 10, 2022 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC Center for Vascular and Heart Research holds retreat to catalyze collaboration , article
The daylong retreat at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center and on the research institute campus included presentations by research teams about their lab’s key techniques, competencies, and equipment.
Date: Jul 21, 2022 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech celebrates its inventors , article
The Virginia Tech inventions highlighted span a wide array of technology areas, including those related to vaccine development, cyber solutions, communications and advanced manufacturing technologies, and antimicrobial films that suppress the transmission of deadly diseases.
Date: Apr 19, 2022 -
Article ItemCancer Research Alliance forges new collaborations, strengthens research programs at inaugural retreat , article
More than 100 cancer researchers from across Virginia Tech recently met at the first Cancer Research Alliance retreat hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.
Date: Apr 04, 2022 -
Article ItemRobert Gourdie elected fellow of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering , article
Robert Gourdie, a cardiovascular scientist, biomedical engineer, and professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has been named to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows.
Date: Mar 22, 2022 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC researcher is Virginia Tech’s first NIH Outstanding Investigator Award recipient , article
Robert Gourdie, the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund Eminent Scholar in Heart Reparative Medicine Research and director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Vascular and Heart Research, received a $6.4 million R35 grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Date: Mar 03, 2022 -
Article ItemRare disease research gives families hope, ‘vital’ to advancing medicine , article
Rare diseases afflict 300 million people worldwide. Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC researchers are bridging a gap in scientific knowledge by studying some of the diseases that together add up to a formidable public health challenge. Feb. 28 marks the 14th international Rare Disease Day.
Date: Feb 28, 2022 -
Article ItemScientists at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute develop new strategy for brain cancer treatment , article
In a new study published in Oncogenesis, Zhi Sheng and Rob Gourdie of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC describe how two protein-targeting drugs – when combined with chemotherapy – yield synergistic cytotoxicity to treatment-resistant glioblastoma.
Date: Jan 13, 2022 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute biotech spin-out raises additional $305,000 in investments , article
With this wave of new grants and investments, Acomhal Research Inc. is nearing a million dollars in total funding toward development of a new therapeutic to fight drug-resistant cancers such as glioblastoma multiforme and metastatic disease including triple negative breast cancer.
Date: Dec 20, 2021 -
Article ItemBiomedical innovations take center stage during 'Shark Tank'-style pitch competition on HS&T campus , article
The competition involved students from the Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health graduate program, who selected intellectual property, worked with real-world business mentors, and created an entrepreneurial plan to develop and commercialize biomedical discoveries.
Date: Dec 13, 2021 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute spinoff Tiny Cargo Co. among Washington, DC Health Innovation QuickFire Challenge awardees , article
Tiny Cargo Co., founded by Rob Gourdie, professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, is among five companies to receive the award, which includes $50,000, the opportunity to reside at JLABS @ Washington, D.C. for one year, and mentorship from experts at the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies.
Date: Sep 15, 2021 -
Article ItemFrom pasture to patient: Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists distill cow’s milk into nano-capsules for drug delivery , article
Rob Gourdie, professor and director of the Center for Vascular and Heart Research at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, and his lab team developed a scalable method to harvest nano-sized biological capsules called exosomes from unpasteurized cow’s milk. Exosomes are a promising candidate for drug delivery in humans.
Date: Aug 19, 2021 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists uncover how molecule improves appearance of surgery scars , article
In a new study, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists discovered that the alphaCT1 molecule may help repair the skin’s collagen matrix by altering how scar-forming cells behave. The findings were published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal.
Date: Jul 19, 2021 -
Article ItemStudents pitch biomedical innovations in ‘Shark Tank’-style competition , article
The competition involved students from the translational biology, medicine and health graduate program, who worked with real-world mentors, selected intellectual property, and created an entrepreneurial plan to develop and commercialize biomedical discoveries.
Date: Dec 15, 2020 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute biotech spin-off seeks potential breast cancer treatment , article
Roanoke-based cancer research startup, Acomhal Research Inc., secured a $399,878 Small Business Technology Transfer grant to determine if a molecule that stalls the spread of invasive brain cancer stem cells can help treat aggressive forms of breast cancer.
Date: Jul 28, 2020 -
Article ItemNew Virginia Tech startup seeks to use nano-capsules derived from milk to deliver heart drug , article
Good things come in small packages. Launched by Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Robert Gourdie, The Tiny Cargo Co. will package vital heart medicine in nano-containers extracted from cow’s milk.
Date: Feb 12, 2020 -
Article ItemBiomedical, business, engineering teams set to dive into shark-tank style competition , article
With a focus on health sciences and technology, the HS&T Hokie Pitch will involve 30 students who have worked with real-world mentors, selected intellectual property, and created an entrepreneurial plan to develop and commercialize biomedical discoveries.
Date: Dec 05, 2019 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC scientists discover compound that could shield heart tissue , article
Imagine there was a drug that you could take soon after a heart attack that could reduce damage by protecting healthy heart muscle tissue.
Date: Aug 19, 2019 -
Article ItemInternational scientists to plug into cellular signals at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute conference , article
To explore potential sources of cellular electrical communication, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is hosting the world’s first Ephaptic Coupling Conference in Roanoke, Virginia, from May 5 to 7.
Date: Apr 29, 2019 -
Article ItemBiomedical, business, engineering students set for HS&T shark tank-style competition , article
Teams will compete for $9,000 in prize money provided by the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Luna Innovations Inc., Carilion Clinic, the Apex Systems Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Woods Rogers law firm.
Date: Nov 27, 2018 -
Article ItemThe heart: digital or analog? VTCRI researchers shed dramatic new light on disorders of heart bioelectricity , article
Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have found evidence that may disrupt conventional understanding about how electrical activity travels in the heart — a discovery that potentially can lead to new insight into medical problems, such as heart arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.
Date: Aug 27, 2018 -
Article ItemVTCRI scientist earns third concurrent grant from the National Cancer Institute to study breast cancer , article
Deb Kelly, who is also an associate professor of biological sciences in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, is working to better detect, prevent, and repair the mutations found in cancers related to the breast cancer susceptibility protein, BRCA1.
Date: Jul 10, 2018 -
Article ItemVTCRI scientist awarded $2 million National Cancer Institute grant to study breast cancer , article
The National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health has awarded Deborah Kelly, an associate professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, $2 million to study the mutated form of the breast cancer susceptibility protein that is implicated in hereditary breast cancer.
Date: Mar 29, 2018 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech biomedical spinoff cited for innovation by national university associations , article
Acomhal Research Inc., formed to fight a deadly type of brain cancer, is being recognized this week by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the Association of American Universities.
Date: Nov 13, 2017 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech Carilion Research Institute teams converge on strategies to defeat McCain’s form of brain cancer , article
Research teams at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute from three colleges — Engineering, Science, and Veterinary Medicine — are developing new approaches to treat glioblastoma, the aggressive form of brain cancer recently diagnosed in U.S. Sen. John McCain.
Date: Jul 24, 2017 -
Article ItemRegenerative medicine researcher’s startup companies give hope to patients , article
Sometimes it takes a researcher with a flair for entrepreneurship to translate a laboratory breakthrough into a medical treatment. Rob Gourdie, the director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute’s Center for Heart and Regenerative Medicine Research, uses "intrapreneurship" to translate laboratory breakthroughs into medical treatments.
Date: May 23, 2017 -
Article ItemEarly career scientist receives international recognition from the Microscopy Society of America , article
Veeraragahavan studies the structural mechanisms underlying cardiac conduction in health and disease at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute’s Center for Heart and Regenerative Medicine in the laboratory of center director, Rob Gourdie.
Date: May 08, 2017 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientist awarded $2.1 million to fight heart disease , article
Steven Poelzing, an associate professor at the institute, will lead a research team to investigate how the microscopic spaces surrounding heart cells affect connections called gap junctions, which allow electrical impulses and small molecules to pass between cells.
Date: Jan 10, 2017 -
Article ItemReview paper explores cardiac scar solutions , article
A more complete understanding of how cells communicate during and after damage may eventually lead to therapeutic applications for a wide range of diseases and disorders.
Date: Jun 27, 2016 -
Article ItemMedical student earns 2 national fellowships to conduct brain cancer research , article
Pratik Kanabur said he will study new ways to potentially treat children’s malignant brain cancer with Assistant Professor Zhi Sheng at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute.
Date: Apr 27, 2016 -
Article ItemResearchers find way to make resistant brain cancer cells sensitive to treatment , article
Scientists from the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and clinicians from Carilion Clinic have discovered how to sensitize drug-resistant human glioblastoma cells to chemotherapy.
Date: Nov 16, 2015 -
Article ItemInaugural heart school events will get rescheduled , article
The public is invited to learn more about heart development and current cardiovascular research during Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute’s first heart school, held as part of American Heart Month.
Date: Feb 23, 2015 -
Article ItemGoing viral: Targeting brain cancer cells with a wound-healing drug , article
At the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, three scientists are planning to create a virus capable of destroying brain cancer. It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but it isn’t hypothetical – the researchers were recently awarded a grant from the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund, part of the Center for Innovative Technology, to engineer a viral therapy.
Date: Jan 05, 2015 -
Article ItemFirst clinical trial for new skin wound-healing compound is a success , article
Heart research leads to unexpected discovery of a new drug for healing skin ulcers.
Date: Aug 21, 2014 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientist's work could lead to wounds healing twice as fast , article
The Catalyst grant is spurring advanced research into the repair and regeneration of damaged tissue in the Center for Heart and Regenerative Medicine Research at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute.
Date: Jun 26, 2014 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech Carilion Research Institute sets a new pace in heart research , article
The Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, well known for its innovative, world-class brain research, is launching a major new initiative in cardiovascular research.
Date: May 20, 2014
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