Who We Are

We are a Cardiometabolic microRNA  Laboratory 

The Cardiometabolic microRNA Laboratory studies how microRNAs alter the expression of key genes involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and other chronic inflammatory diseases, such as type II diabetes. The team also studies novel mechanisms of inflammation that promote plaque vulnerability.  We employ animal models of human disease, in vitro assays of inflammation, cholesterol homeostasis and cellular activation, and analyze pathways of interest in human plasma and atherosclerotic plaque samples.

The laboratory is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSF) and the European Research Area Network on Cardiovascular Diseases (ERA-CVD).

our Fearless Leader

Katey Rayner

Katey Rayner, PhD, is Principal Investigator and Director of the Cardiometabolic microRNA Laboratory at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Dr. Rayner is also Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology &Immunology at the University of Ottawa. She is a member of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars.

Our panel of expert scientists

From Left to Right: Adil Rasheed, Michele Geoffrion (+Baby Xavier), Anne-Claire Duchez, Mary Lynn Cottee, Leah Susser, Hailey Wyatt, Taylor Dennison, Katey Rayner, Adir Baxi, My-Anh Nguyen