Umar Laboratory

650 Charles E Young Dr. S
CHS BH-553
Los Angeles, CA 90095
310-794-6556

sumar@mednet.ucla.edu

The Umar Laboratory’s research is focused on investigating the molecular mechanisms and pathophysiology of primary and secondary forms of pulmonary hypertension and associated right ventricular dysfunction. Our long-term goal is to devise novel regenerative therapies for these cardiopulmonary disorders. We are also interested in investigating novel strategies for perioperative cardiopulmonary organ protection. Pulmonary hypertension is a chronic pulmonary vascular disease without a definitive cure. We are using state-of-the-art in vivo mouse and rat models, in vitro cell culture systems, and human blood and tissue samples to investigate the molecular mechanisms of the development of primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension. We are also investigating adverse structural and electrical remodeling of the right ventricle secondary to pressure overload that often leads to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

Umar Lab is hiring!

Candidates interested in a Postdoctoral position or a Staff Research Associate (SRA) position please contact the PI Dr. Umar directly. 

Dr. Soban Umar, MD, PhD is the Thomas M. Grove Chair in Anesthesiology, and an Associate Professor and Associate Residency Program Director for Research at the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Umar received his Medicine degree with honors from Nishtar Medical University in Pakistan. He completed his Ph.D. in Cardiovascular Physiology and Molecular Cardiology from Leiden University in the Netherlands with a focus on molecular mechanisms of pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure. He went on to complete his Postdoctoral training in Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology from UCLA with a focus on the role of sex hormones and sex chromosomes and epigenetic regulation of pulmonary hypertension. He completed his residency training in Anesthesiology from UCLA in 2016 and has been serving as a faculty member in the Department of Anesthesiology since. Dr. Umar is a physician-scientist who works as a Clinical Anesthesiologist and is the Principal Investigator of an NIH-funded basic and translational cardiovascular research laboratory. He has received funding from the American Thoracic Society (ATS), Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER), UCLA Cardiovascular Theme, Department of Defense (DoD), Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) and The National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Umar has published > 65 high-quality research papers and has an h-index of 31 with over 3400 citations of his work to-date. His valuable contributions to pulmonary vascular disease and right heart failure research have resulted in numerous honors and awards.