John E. Baker, PhD 

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Title(s): Investigator, Children's Research Institute; professor, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin.

Education: Doctorate, St. Thomas Hospital Medical School, London, 1984; postdoctoral fellowship, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, 1986.

Research interests: Ischemia, hypoxia, heart, molecular genetics, heart surgery and congenital heart defects, radiation injury to the heart.

 Representative publications:

• Strande JL, Hsu A, Su J, Fu X, Gross GJ, Baker JE. SCH 79797: A Selective PAR-1 Antagonist, Limits Myocardial Ischemia-reperfusion Injury in Rat Hearts. Basic Research in Cardiology. 2007; 102:350-358.
• Baker JE, Kozik D, Hsu AK, Fu X, Tweddell JS, Gross GJ. Darbepoetin Alfa Protects the Rat Heart Against Infarction: Dose-response, Phase of Action and Mechanisms. Journal of Cardiovascual Pharmacology. 2007; 49:337-345.
• Baker JE, Su J, Fu X, Hsu A, Gross GJ, Tweddell JS, Hogg N. Nitrite Confers Protection Against Myocardial Infarction: Role of Xanthine Oxidoreductase, NADPH Oxidase and K_ATP Channels. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. 2007; 43:437-444.
• Nicolosi AC, Strande JL, Hsu A, Fu X, Su J, Gross GJ, Baker JE. Gadolinium Limits Myocardial Infarction in the Rat: Dose-response, Temporal Relations and Mechanisms. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. 2007.
• Baker JE, Su J, Hsu A, Shi Y, Zhao M, Xu H, Eis A, Komorowski R, Wang J, Fu X, Konorev E, Jensen ES, Tweddell JS, Gross GJ. Human Thrombopoietin Reduces Myocardial Infarctsize, Apoptosis and Stunning Following Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats. Cardiovascular Research. 2008; 77:44-53.
• Strande JL, Hsu A, Su J, Fu X, Gross GJ, Baker JE. Inhibiting Protease-activated Receptor 4 Limits Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rat Hearts by Unmasking Adenosine Signaling. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. (In press) 2008.

Current grants:

• National Institutes of Health, Chronic Hypoxia and Resistance to Myocardial Ischemia, principal investigator.
• Amgen, Inc., Darbepoetin ALFA and Protection of the Ischemic Heart, principal investigator.
• National Institutes of Healthy, Pharmacological Treatment for Radiation Injury, coinvestigator.

Contact information: 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226. Phone: (414) 456-8706. Fax: (414) 453-9700. E-mail: jbaker@mcw.edu.