Arthur S. Rovner, Ph.D.
Research
Assistant Professor of Physiology & Biophysics
Background
- B.S. with High Distinction,
Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1975-1979.
- Ph.D., Physiology (Advisor:
Professor Richard A. Murphy), University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA, 1980-1986.
- American Heart Association
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Dept. of
Physical Education, University of California, Berkeley, CA,
1986-1988.
- National Institutes of Health
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology,
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY (Sponsor: Dr.
Leslie Leinwand), 1988-1991.
- Post-Doctoral Fellow, Endowment
Funds, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert
Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, June, 1991-June, 1992.
- UVM Faculty since 1992
Research
Dr. Rovner has training and experience in a
number of areas including muscle physiology, carbohydrate
metabolism, and molecular biological manipulation of muscle
contractile proteins. Dr. Rovner's current research focuses on two broad
areas. The first is an assessment of the relationship between
structure and function of cardiac and smooth muscle contractile
proteins, most notably the motor protein myosin. This involves
characterization of both naturally-occurring molecules which differ
in the isoform makeup of their component subunits, as well as the
recombinant expression of myosins with specific amino acid
substitutions or deletions. After purification, these myosin
molecules are then assayed in vitro for filament assembly, ATPase
activity, and the ability to move actin filaments in a motility
assay. A second area is devoted to studying the processes which lead
to decreased expression of the proteins involved in Ca2+ cycling in
cardiac muscle undergoing pressure-overload hypertrophy or heart
failure. This work hopes to identify the pressure-activated factors
and second-messenger pathways which regulate the expression of
various gene products involved in the release and re-uptake of this
critical ion.
Click to see my publications.
Teaching
- Recombinant Protein Expression
(Dept. Readings Course)
- PSLB 101 (Physical therapy
students). The cell, its substructures, and macromolecules
- PSLB 301 (Medical students). Renal
Physiology
Service
- Proposal for Augmentation of
Departmental Research Space (Fall '92)
- Graduate Education Committee (Fall
'92 - present)