Elizabeth A. Sweeny

Dr. Elizabeth A. Sweeny is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). Her research focuses on heme proteins' roles in cardiovascular health and disease, particularly the regulation of NADPH oxidase 5 (NOX5) in atrial fibrillation. She leads a lab studying cross-talk between heme proteins and cellular systems like mitochondria, actin cytoskeleton, and RNA processing.

Education: PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from the University of Pennsylvania (2014). Postdoctoral training included synthetic biology at MIT-Broad Foundry (yeast mitochondrial engineering) and work on heme homeostasis at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute.

Research Interests: Investigating NOX5's role in calcium-dependent superoxide production, its interactions with mitochondrial proteins, and its dysregulation in AF. Uses patient-derived tissues, iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, and biochemical approaches to study NOX5's signaling networks and pathogenic mechanisms.

Labs/Teams: Directs a lab at MCW (established 2021) combining biochemistry, cell biology, and clinical samples to explore redox signaling in cardiovascular disease. Collaborates on projects involving heme allocation pathways and protein chaperone interactions.

Grants/Advising: No explicit grant details provided, but research activities imply NIH or institutional funding. Advises on graduate student projects related to her lab's focus areas.