University of Mississippi · PhysiologyLiver Metabolism and Cardiovascular Health Lab
David E Stec · University, Mississippi
Research Focus
Dr. David Stec's lab studies how liver-related issues, particularly fatty liver disease, lead to heart problems. As metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes increase, so do these complications. The lab develops models to investigate the role of liver fat in causing cardiovascular disease, focusing on mechanisms that might help us find new treatments.
non-alcoholic fatty liver diseasehypertensioncardiac dysfunctionmetabolic diseasescardiovascular diseasehepatocytehormonesPPAR-regulated hormonesketonesbiomarkers
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the role of hepatic steatosis in cardiovascular disease development in NAFLD.
AIM 02Determine if increasing plasma levels of ketones can improve cardiac function in specific mouse models.
AIM 03Explore the signaling mechanisms affected by increasing key hepatic hormones in heart health.
Skills the Lab Values
mouse modelsplasma assayshepatocyte cultureWestern blotkinome analysisreverse transcription PCRblood pressure measurementdata analysismolecular biology techniquesbiochemical assays
Output against the department
Publications210top 31% of dept.88th of 286
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.8ktop 42% of dept.120th of 286
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.