Bernhard Kühn, MD

Dr. Kühn is a cardiovascular researcher and pediatric cardiologist. His research is on the century-old question of whether, under what conditions, and to what extent mammalian hearts regenerate themselves. He addresses this question with the long-term goal of developing regenerative strategies to treat heart failure, and his approach involves basic and translational research.

Dr. Kühn was drawn to the field of cardiac regeneration because it offers the opportunity to apply basic research discoveries to alleviate a significant health problem. He is directing a research lab with three interconnected goals: to understand the mechanisms of cellular proliferation and differentiation in the heart; to provide mechanistic explanations for the huge variation in regenerative activity; and, drawing on the answers to these fundamental questions, to apply basic research results to treat heart disease. Prior to this work, it was commonly thought that after birth, heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) are in irreversible proliferative arrest and that myocardial regeneration does not happen. Physicians and scientists were skeptical that it would be possible to stimulate cardiomyocyte proliferation after birth, let alone that this mechanism would regenerate myocardium. Based on the insight about cardiomyocyte proliferation in human infants and children, and on the discovery that administration of the growth factor neuregulin stimulates cardiomyocyte proliferation, Dr. Kühn has developed a clinically testable strategy to regenerate myocardium in pediatric patients.

Dr. Kühn enjoys teaching, mentoring, and patient care, however, he spends the majority of his time in his lab.