The Program has as its mission, the study of molecular mechanisms involved in human cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and translation of bench findings to new bedside strategies for diagnosis and therapy. The Program also has a strong commitment to mentoring of MD and PhD trainees committed to a career in academic cardiovascular research. Research in the program currently focuses in identification of factors responsible for increased risk for vascular disease in patients with type II diabetes mellitus with the aim of discovering diagnostic biomarkers and possibly develop diagnostic tools as well as strategies to reduce the risk; develop cell-based and gene therapies for ischemic cardiovascular diseases; explore genetic and molecular mechanisms in the pathogenesis of congenital cono-truncal anomalies and varicose veins; define mechanisms and investigate methods to modulate vascular remodeling during evolution of cardiac failure in cardiac hypertrophy and elucidating metabolic phenotyping of diabetes risk in India.