Physician Profile

Neil J. Freedman, MD

Education:
M.D., Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts, 1985

Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital, Massachusetts, 1985-88

Research Fellow in Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts, 1988-90

Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina, 1990-93

Clinical Interests/Specialties:
Preventive cardiology, lipid disorders

Research Interests:
Our work focuses on atherosclerosis-related signal transduction, both in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, we are investigating (i) the regulation of receptor protein tyrosine kinases by G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs); (ii) the role of tumor necrosis factor and its receptors in mouse models of atherosclerosis as well as in smooth muscle cell growth and migration; (iii) the role of accessory proteins in regulating low-density lipoprotein receptor internalization. To study receptor phosphorylation, signal transduction, and intracellular trafficking, we have employed physiologic systems (cells derived from knockout mice and RNA interference) and heterologous systems (transfected and adenovirus-infected smooth muscle and other cell lines). For in vivo modeling of atherosclerosis and neointimal hyperplasia, we employ a mouse carotid artery bypass graft system.