Dr. Cathy Hatcher is involved in teaching, research and service activities at PCOM. In the osteopathic medicine program, she is the Cardiovascular-Renal-Pulmonary Medicine course director and a faculty lecturer in the Structural Principles of Osteopathic Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Basis of Medicine courses. Dr. Hatcher is a faculty lecturer in the Molecular Basis of Medicine and Physiology courses for the Biomedical Sciences graduate program.
In the laboratory, Dr. Hatcher conducts research with students to examine the molecular and cellular mechanisms that contribute to coronary vessel formation and function during mammalian cardiovascular development. Dr. Hatcher has obtained extramural and intramural grant funds to support this research. Biomedical graduate and osteopathic medical students are active contributors to her cardiovascular development research program.
Dr. Hatcher is a member of the DO curriculum committee that is charged with overseeing the curricular content of the osteopathic medical program. Her service interest focuses on seeking novel strategies to provide rewarding and integrative educational experiences for PCOM students.
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cardiovascular Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College
PhD, Physiology, Medical College of Georgia
BS, Biology, University of Georgia
The research focus of Dr. Hatcher’s lab is to identify molecular and cellular mechanisms of normal cardiovascular development in order to pinpoint abnormal processes that cause congenital heart defects. Congenital heart defects are a prominent health concern as they are found to occur in nearly 1% of all live births, and they account for a significant number of pediatric and adult patients with cardiovascular disease. Her investigations into cardiovascular development have led to the discoveries of novel cardiovascular proteins that contribute to cell adhesion processes during coronary vessel formation. In vitro and in vivo studies are being conducted to determine the precise roles that these proteins play in governing cell behaviors that are integral to coronary vessel formation and function.
Research keywords: congenital heart defect, cardiovascular development, cardiovascular disease, coronary vessel, cell adhesion
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