Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine  http://www.gbs.uab.edu  http://www.uab.edu/graduate  Back to Main

Faculty Detail    
Name VICTOR M DARLEY-USMAR
Endowed Professor of Mitochondrial Medicine and Pathology
Senior Associate Dean for Research Compliance and Administration School of Medicine
Director, Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory		  
Campus Address BMR2 508 Zip 2186
Phone  (205) 975-9686
E-mail  vdarleyusmar@uabmc.edu
Other websites
     


Faculty Appointment(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Primary  Joint Pathology  Molecular & Cellular Pathology Professor
Secondary  Anesthesiology Chair Office  Anesthesiology Chair Office Professor
Secondary  Environmental Health Sciences  Environmental Health Sciences Professor
Secondary  Neurobiology  Neurobiology Professor
Center  Biomatrix Eng Regen Med (BERM) Ctr  Biomatrix Eng Regen Med (BERM) Ctr Professor
Center  Center for AIDS Research  Center for AIDS Research Professor
Center  Center for Biophysical Sciences/Engineering  Center for Biophysical Sciences/Engineering Professor
Center  Comp Arthritis, MSK, Bone & Autoimmunity Ctr  Comp Arthritis, MSK, Bone & Autoimmunity Ctr Professor
Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center Professor
Center  Comprehensive Cardiovascular Ctr  Comprehensive Cardiovascular Ctr Professor
Center  Comprehensive Diabetes Center  Comprehensive Diabetes Center Professor
Center  Comprehensive Neuroscience Center  Comprehensive Neuroscience Center Professor
Center  Ctr for Clinical & Translational Sci  Ctr for Clinical & Translational Sci Professor
Center  Nephrology Research & Training Center  Nephrology Research & Training Center Professor
Center  Nutrition Sciences Research  Nutrition Obesity Res Ctr (NORC) Professor

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations
Integrative Biomedical Sciences 
Medical Scientist Training Program 
Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine 

Biographical Sketch 
Victor Darley-Usmar received his Ph.D. at the University of Essex in England and then moved to the University of Oregon as a Post-Doctoral Fellow to pursue his interests in the structure and function of mitochondrial proteins in human disease. After a period as a lecturer in Japan and ten years as a Research Scientist in Burroughs Wellcome in London he joined UAB to establish his own research group in the Department of Pathology in 1995 and is currently director of the UAB Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory. His major research interests are in translating basic research in redox biology and bioenergetics to a clinical setting. In recognition of this contribution he was appointed as the Foundation Endowed Professor in Mitochondrial Medicine and Pathology at UAB. His research is focused on the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction to the pathophysiology of human disease. He recently developed the methods for the assessment of bioenergetic function in cells isolated from human blood which opens up the potential for using mitochondrial function in translational medicine. Deteriorating mitochondrial quality control is an important mechanism for understanding how bioenergetics changes in response to metabolic stress and the interface with autophagy was explore in the context of diabetes and heme toxicity. Recently he has shown how novel mitochondrial therapeutics can protect against metabolic stress.

Society Memberships
Organization Name Position Held Org Link
Society For Free Radical Biology and Medicine  former President/ member   
 



Research/Clinical Interest
Title
Mitochondrial Health; Bench to Bedside
Description
The most serious diseases that effect developed nations such as atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration and diabetes are known to involve mitochondrial dysfunction. The challenge is to translate the findings in basic research in mitochondrial function and the pathology of disease to the clinic. To achieve this we are developing new methods to assess bioenergetic dysfunction in human disease and determine its diagnostic potential. The approach we are taking is to develop new methods for defining bioenergetic health in human populations using the cellular mitochondrial function of leukocytes and platelets isolated from human blood.

Selected Publications 
Publication PUBMEDID
Chacko, B.K. Kramer, P.A.,Ravi, S, Benavides, G.A., Mitchell, T., Dranka, B.P., Ferrick, D., Singal, A.K., Ballinger, S.W., Bailey, S.M., Hardy, R.W., Jianhua Zhang, J, Zhi, D., and Darley-Usmar, V.M. (2014) The Bioenergetic Health Index: A New Concept in Mitochondrial Translational Research. Clinical Science 127, (367–373).   PMCID: PMC4202728 
Ravi S, Chacko B, Sawada H, Kramer PA, Johnson MS, Benavides GA, O'Donnell V, Marques MB, Darley-Usmar VM. (2015) Metabolic plasticity in resting and thrombin activated platelets.
PLoS One.;10(4):e0123597
 		  
Hill B, Benavides G, Lancaster J, Ballinger S, Dell’Italia L, Zhang J, Darley-Usmar VM Integration of cellular bioenergetics with mitochondrial quality control and autophagy. Biological Chemistry. 393: 1485–1512, 2012.   PMCID: PMC3594552 
Dodson M, Darley-Usmar VM, Zhang J (2013) Cellular metabolic and autophagic pathways: traffic control by redox signaling. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 63:207-221   PMCID:PMC3729625 
Wende AR, Young ME, Chatham J, Zhang J, Rajasekaran NS, Darley-Usmar VM. (2016) Redox biology and the interface between bioenergetics, autophagy and circadian control of metabolism. Free Radic Biol Med. (16)30270-2.  27242268 
Slatter, D.A., Aldrovandi, M., O’Connor, A., Allen, S., Brasher, C., Murphy, R.C., Mecklemann, S., Ravi, S., Darley-Usmar V., and O’Donnell. V.B. (2016). Mapping the human platelet lipidome reveals a wealth of novel species, and reveals cytosolic phospholipase A2 as a regulator of mitochondrial bioenergetics. Cell Metabolism 23, 930-944.  27133131  
Kramer PA, Chacko BK, George DJ, Zhi D, Wei CC, Dell'Italia LJ, Melby SJ, George JF, Darley-Usmar VM. (2015) Decreased Bioenergetic Health Index in monocytes isolated from the pericardial fluid and blood of post-operative cardiac surgery patients. Biosci Rep 35(4).  26181371 
Kramer, P.A., Prichard, L, Chacko, B.,Ravi, S.,Overton, E.T.,Heath, S.L., Darley-Usmar V (2015) Inhibition of the lymphocyte metabolic switch by the oxidative burst of human neutrophils. Clinical Science 129:489-504.  25951298 
 

Keywords
mitochondria, nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species, bioenergetic dysfunciton, translational research