Keith A. Youker

Keith A. Youker, PhD

Associate Research Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences, Academic Institute
Associate Research Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist


Biography

Dr. Keith Youker earned his Ph.D. in Cardiovascular Sciences from Baylor College of Medicine and was the first graduate from this program. The program initially used a broad knowledge approach to training including course work from medical school, graduate school, and cardiovascular core courses designed for basic scientists to work in clinical cardiovascular research. His dissertation work earned him a nomination for the Sigma Xi “Excellence in Science Dissertation Award”. Since graduation, Dr. Youker has been a faculty member in both the departments of Medicine and Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine prior to joining Houston Methodist Hospital. He has served as an ad hoc reviewer for the journals of Circulation, American Journal of Pathology, ASAIO and the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Dr. Youker’s primary focus has been in heart failure with a particular interest in inflammation and its role in the progression of heart failure. Dr. Youker prefers a hands-on approach in the laboratory and is expert in many areas from electron microscopy to molecular biology techniques and has earned a reputation of excellence in cardiovascular immunopathology research.

Description of Research

Dr. Youker focuses on research of the immune system in heart failure and metabolism in heart failure.

Areas Of Expertise

Transplantation LVAD Immunology Cardiac Heart Failure
Education & Training

PhD, Baylor College of Medicine
Publications

Assessing the Cardioprotective Effects of Exogenous Hormone Administration in a Post-Myocardial Infarction Female Rat Model
Eversole, E, Fallon, B, Bowden, M, Naegele, F, Martino, A, Lu, AJ, Schmidt, SM, Willson, RC, Bhimaraj, A, Youker, KA & Filgueira, CS 2024, , University of Houston College of Pharmacy Clinical and Translational Research Symposium, Houston, United States, 4/26/24.

Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uniporter–Dependent Energetic Dysfunction Drives Hypertrophy in Heart Failure
Alves-Figueiredo, H, Silva-Platas, C, Estrada, M, Oropeza-Almazán, Y, Ramos-González, M, Bernal-Ramírez, J, Vázquez-Garza, E, Tellez, A, Salazar-Ramírez, F, Méndez-Fernández, A, Galaz, JL, Lobos, P, Youker, K, Lozano, O, Torre-Amione, G & García-Rivas, G 2024, , JACC: Basic to Translational Science, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 496-518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacbts.2024.01.007

Developing a Hypothyroid Rat Model for Myocardial Infarction
Eversole, E, Carcamo-Bahena, Y, Royal, ALR, Fallon, BC, Brero, G, Bhimaraj, A, Youker, KA & Filgueira, CS 2022, , Nanomedicine Symposium HMRI, 12/5/22.

3'UTR shortening of profibrotic genes and reversibility of fibrosis in patients with end-stage right ventricular failure
Neupane, R, Cieslik, KA, Youker, K, Palaniyandi, SS, Guha, A & Thandavarayan, RA 2022, , Clinical and translational medicine, vol. 12, no. 9, pp. e1017. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1017

An In Vitro Platform to Study Reversible Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
Krishnamoorthi, MK, Thandavarayan, RA, Youker, KA & Bhimaraj, A 2022, , Frontiers in Pharmacology, vol. 13, 912660, pp. 912660. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.912660

Long term development of diastolic dysfunction and heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction in heart transplant recipients
Vejpongsa, P, Torre-Amione, G, Marcos-Abdala, HG, Kumar, S, Youker, K, Bhimaraj, A & Nagueh, SF 2022, , Scientific Reports, vol. 12, no. 1, 3834, pp. 3834. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07888-9, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07888-9

Long term development of diastolic dysfunction and heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction in heart transplant recipients
Vejpongsa, P, Torre-Amione, G, Marcos-Abdala, HG, Kumar, S, Youker, K, Bhimaraj, A & Nagueh, SF 2022, , Scientific Reports, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 3834. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07888-9

Cleavage stimulating factor 64 depletion mitigates cardiac fibrosis through alternative polyadenylation
Neupane, R, Youker, K, Yalamanchili, HK, Cieslik, KA, Karmouty-quintana, H, Guha, A & Thandavarayan, RA 2022, , Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, vol. 597, pp. 109-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.01.093

Cleavage stimulating factor 64 depletion mitigates cardiac fibrosis through alternative polyadenylation
Neupane, R, Youker, K, Yalamanchili, HK, Cieslik, KA, Karmouty-Quintana, H, Guha, A & Thandavarayan, RA 2022, , Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, vol. 597, pp. 109-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.01.093

An In Vitro Platform to Study Reversible Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.
Krishnamoorthi, MK, Thandavarayan, RA, Youker, KA & Bhimaraj, A 2022, , Frontiers in Pharmacology, vol. 13, pp. 912660. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.912660

Future Impact of mRNA Therapy on Cardiovascular Diseases
Cooke, JP & Youker, KA 2022, , Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 64-73. https://doi.org/10.14797/mdcvj.1169

Role of Endothelial and Mesenchymal Cell Transitions in Heart Failure and Recovery Thereafter
Wang, G, Cruz, AS, Youker, K, Marcos-Abdala, HG, Thandavarayan, RA, Cooke, JP, Torre-Amione, G, Chen, K & Bhimaraj, A 2021, , Frontiers in Genetics, vol. 11, 609262, pp. 609262. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2020.609262

Endothelial Dysfunction-related Neurological Bleeds with Continuous Flow-Left Ventricular Assist Devices Measured by Digital Thermal Monitor
Ali, A, Uribe, C, Araujo-Gutierrez, R, Cruz-Solbes, AS, Marcos-Abdala, HG, Youker, KA, Guha, A, Torre-Amione, G, Nguyen, DT, Graviss, EA, Cooke, JP & Bhimaraj, A 2021, , ASAIO Journal, pp. 561-566. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAT.0000000000001281

Endothelial Dysfunction-related Neurological Bleeds with Continuous Flow-Left Ventricular Assist Devices Measured by Digital Thermal Monitor
Ali, A, Uribe, C, Araujo-Gutierrez, R, Cruz-Solbes, AS, Marcos-Abdala, HG, Youker, KA, Guha, A, Torre-Amione, G, Nguyen, DT, Graviss, EA, Cooke, JP & Bhimaraj, A 2021, , ASAIO Journal, vol. 67, no. 5, pp. 561-566. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAT.0000000000001281

Platelet rich plasma concentration improves biologic mesh incorporation and decreases multinucleated giant cells in a dose dependent fashion
Araujo-Gutierrez, R, Van Eps, JL, Scherba, JC, Anastasio, AT, Cabrera, F, Vatsaas, CJ, Youker, K & Fernandez Moure, JS 2021, , Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, vol. 15, no. 11, pp. 1037-1046. https://doi.org/10.1002/term.3247

STK35 Gene Therapy Attenuates Endothelial Dysfunction and Improves Cardiac Function in Diabetes
Joladarashi, D, Zhu, Y, Willman, M, Nash, K, Cimini, M, Thandavarayan, RA, Youker, KA, Song, X, Ren, D, Li, J, Kishore, R, Krishnamurthy, P & Wang, L 2021, , Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, vol. 8, pp. 798091. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.798091

STK35 Gene Therapy Attenuates Endothelial Dysfunction and Improves Cardiac Function in Diabetes
Joladarashi, D, Zhu, Y, Willman, M, Nash, K, Cimini, M, Thandavarayan, RA, Youker, KA, Song, X, Ren, D, Li, J, Kishore, R, Krishnamurthy, P & Wang, L 2021, , Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, vol. 8, 798091. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.798091

Nanovaccine for Heart Failure
Youker, KA, Torre-Amione, G & Shen, H May. 27 2021, , Patent No. WO2021101968.

Endothelial Dysfunction-related Neurological Bleeds with Continuous Flow-Left Ventricular Assist Devices Measured by Digital Thermal Monitor
Ali, A, Uribe, C, Araujo-Gutierrez, R, Cruz-Solbes, AS, Marcos-Abdala, HG, Youker, KA, Guha, A, Torre-Amione, G, Nguyen, DT, Graviss, EA, Cooke, JP & Bhimaraj, A 2020, , ASAIO journal (American Society for Artificial Internal Organs : 1992). https://doi.org/10.1097/MAT.0000000000001281

Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaque Imaging by Small-Molecule High-Affinity Positron Emission Tomography Radiopharmaceutical
Yang, Z, Li, F, Yelamanchili, D, Zeng, Z, Rosales, C, Youker, KA, Shen, H, Ferrari, M, Mahmarian, J, Pownall, HJ, Hamilton, DJ & Li, Z 2019, , advanced therapeutics, vol. 2, no. 8. https://doi.org/10.1002/adtp.201900005

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