Ravi P. Misra

Ravi P. Misra, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Associate Provost for Accreditation and Program Development at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). He holds a BA in Microbiology from Rutgers College (1979) and a PhD in Biochemistry from New York University School of Medicine (1988). His postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School focused on growth factor regulation of c-Fos proto-oncogene expression.

His research centers on understanding transcriptional mechanisms governing cardiac and vascular development, particularly the role of Serum Response Factor (SRF) in cardiogenesis and coronary vasculature formation. His lab investigates SRF’s role in coordinating gene expression for sarcomeric function, vascular smooth muscle differentiation, and proepicardium-derived cell contributions to coronary vessels. He has pioneered mouse transgenic models to study embryonic gene regulation and cardiovascular defects.

Dr. Misra’s work addresses congenital heart defects’ molecular bases, including how SRF dysregulation leads to hypertrophy and embryonic lethality. His lab also explores proepicardium-derived vascular stem cells and enhancer elements critical for vasculogenesis. His contributions span developmental biology, molecular genetics, and translational cardiovascular research.

Grants and collaborations are inferred from his publication record, though specific funding details are not provided. His lab’s focus on SRF underscores its significance in both basic science and potential therapeutic applications for heart disease.