Ana M. Carneiro, Ph.D.
Young Investigator

Dr. Ana Marin Dias Carneiro is currently an Instructor at the department of Pharmacology at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her current research interests include Depression, which is implicated in both the development and adverse outcomes of heart disease. One small component of the human blood, platelets, might contribute the increased risk for coronary disease in depressed patients. Recent studies indicate that genetic modifications in two proteins, serotonin transporter and integrin beta 3, represent a strong risk factor for the occurrence of heart attacks. Dr. Carneiro is studying how those molecules modulate each other and consequently regulate serotonin chemistry in the brain. She is also using genetically modified mice to study how these two proteins can control serotonin levels in the brain and in the blood. Studies suggest a common molecular link in the pathophyisiology of depression and heart attacks that could explain the increased risks observed in the population.

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