Mellani Lefta, MD

Publications:

Schroder EA, Burgess DE, Zhang X, Lefta M, Smith JL, Patwardhan A, Bartos DC, Elayi CS, Esser KA, Delisle BP. The Cardiomyocyte Molecular Clock Regulates the Circadian Expression of Kcnh2 and Contributes to Ventricular Repolarization. Heart Rhythm, 2015; 12 (6): 1306-14

Xie Z, Su W, Liu S, Zhao G, Esser KA, Schroder EA, Lefta M, Stauss HM, Guo Z, and Gong MC. Smooth Muscle BMAL1 Participates in Blood Pressure Circadian Rhythm Regulation. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2015; 125(1):324-36

Wagner AL, Urschel KL, Lefta M and Esser KA. Effects of gluteus medius muscle sample collection depth on postprandial mammalian target of rapamycin signaling in mature Thoroughbred mares. Am J Vet Res., 2013; 74 (6): 910-7

Schroder EA*, Lefta M*, Zhang X, Bartos DC, Feng HZ, Zhao Y, Patwardhan A, Jin JP, Esser KA and Delisle BP. The cardiomyocyte molecular clock, regulation of Scn5A and arrhythmia susceptibility. AJP Cell Physiol., 2013; 304 (10):C954-65
*Authors contributed equally to this work
Selected for Faculty 1000 Prime Review.
Selected for Journal Club discussion by the journal as well as Cover Figure and Editorial Highlight

Lefta M, Campbell KS, Feng HZ, Jin JP and Esser KA. Development of dilated cardiomyopathy in Bmal1 deficient mice. American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 2012; 303: H475-85

Lefta M, Wolff G and Esser KA. Circadian rhythms, the molecular clock, and skeletal muscle. Curr. Top. Dev. Biol. 2011; 96: 231-71

Olsen MA, Lefta M, Dietz JR, Brandt KE, Aft R, Mathews R, Mayfield J and Fraser VJ. Risk factors for surgical site infection after major breast operation. J. Am. Coll. Surg. 2008; 207:326-35

Clinical/Research Interests:

Prevention and management of childhood obesity, improving childhood immunization rates, new parent counseling and improving breastfeeding rates