Woulfe Lab
Exploring mechanisms that modulate sarcomeric function leading to age- and sex-differences in cardiac physiology!
Mission
We are passionate about identifying and defining mechanisms that contribute to age- and sex-related differences in cardiac physiology and pathophysiology.
The mission of the Woulfe Lab is to train scientists in rigorous scientific methods in cardiac physiology. We strive to foster scientific curiosity, rigorous experimental design, and thoughtful interpretation while advancing our understanding of how the heart functions differently across the lifespan in men and women. Ultimately, our goal is to identify and target therapies that improve cardiac health by preventing and treating disease at different stages of life.
Approach
Our lab uses a combination of in vivo, in vitro, and ex vivo methods to test hypotheses derived from clinical observations and studies of human explanted hearts.
We specialize in studying heart function at multiple levels, from whole-heart performance to cardiomyocyte and sarcomeric function. By integrating these functional processes, we aim to better understand the underlying mechanisms of cardiac physiology. Our collaborative lab culture, driven by teamwork, curiosity, and rigorous scientific methods, supports all our research endeavors.
Kathleen C. Woulfe, PhD
Associate Professor
Divisions of Cardiology and Geriatric Medicine
Department of Medicine
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Regulation and functional consequences of novel post-translational modifications on sarcomeric proteins in striated muscle
Functional modulation of cardiomyocytes in response to hormonal changes associated with menstruation and menopause
Mechanisms underlying sex differences in adult male and female sarcomeres
Determining sarcomeric mechanisms that contribute to diastolic dysfunction
Funding Sources
Kathleen Woulfe, PhD
Dr. Kathleen Woulfe grew up in Pinedale, Wyoming and graduated with a BS in Biology from Washington and Lee University. She completed her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology under Dr. Thomas Force studying how GSK-3beta impacts cardiac hypertrophy at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Dr. Woulfe completed her post-doctoral work at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center studying how pediatric heart failure differs from adult heart failure. She started the lab in 2018 with the goal to define mechanisms underlying age and sex differences in the heart. Outside of the lab, Dr. Woulfe loves all things water-related and getting outside with her 3 daughters.
Chris Hoffer
Chris Hoffer is a graduate student in the Integrated Physiology Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School, where he works under the mentorship of Dr. Woulfe. A native of Marion, Ohio, Chris served over a decade in the U.S. Marines before earning his B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Since moving to Colorado in 2021 to pursue his passion for research, Chris joined the Woulfe lab as a research technician. He has concentrated on investigating the physiological mechanisms underlying sarcomere dysfunction with a focus on age and sex differences in the heart. In his free time, Chris enjoys film photography, hiking, and cheering on THE Ohio State Buckeyes, as well as spending time outdoors with family.
Rachael Keeney
Rachael Keeney grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and graduated with a BS in Ecology, Evolutionary, Organismal Biology and a MS with emphasis is Behavioral Ecology from Eastern New Mexico University. She moved to Denver, Colorado in 2018 and started working in the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the Office of Laboratory Animal Resources (OLAR) as an Animal Care 1. She was promoted to Breeder Core in 2019 where she learned how to manage and care for multiple Laboratory Animal Colonies. She then took her knowledge for colony management and became the colony manager for the Bell Lab, McKinsey Lab, Vagnozzi Lab, and Woulfe Lab in 2023. Her passion is animal care and loves helping the animal colonies thrive for research. When not in the Vivarium, Rachael enjoys taking care of her reptiles at home, baking, and drawing/sculpting with her husband.
Mackenzie Amrine, MS
Mackenzie Amrine is a graduate student in the Integrative Physiology Program at CU Anschutz and earned her BS in Kinesiology and Psychology and her MS in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Mackenzie moved to Colorado in 2023, where she worked as a research technician in the Immunology and Microbiology Department at CU Anschutz until she began graduate school training. Her graduate research focuses on age-related mechanisms that drive diastolic dysfunction in women; specifically, the effects of mitochondrial dysfunction on the sarcomere. Outside of the lab, Mackenzie enjoys yoga, trying new recipes, and spending time with friends playing games or crafting.
Warren Hammond
Warren Hammond grew up in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains in Roanoke, VA. He has a B.S. in Biology from the Rochester Institute of Technology and spent 2 years studying molecular virology and microbiology in graduate school at Baylor College of Medicine. He’s had a varied career in research science spanning virology, cancer cell biology, aging, and toxicology. After a 20-year detour through the entertainment industry as a professional juggler, he is excited to now be working in his 6th lab in the division of cardiology as part of the Woulfe lab. As a research assistant, he strives to not only do quality work every day supporting everyone’s scientific endeavors, but to also foster a positive and supportive environment in a field that can be stressful and demanding. When not in the lab, he can be found playing all variety of games with his friends, and getting chewed on by his dog, a Belgian Malinois mix named Nandor.
Alumni
Tim Jones, PhD
Tim Jones is originally from Auckland, New Zealand where he also completed his undergraduate and doctoral studies. He was awarded a PhD in Physiology under the supervision of Dr Marie-Louise Ward, studying changes in cardiac calcium handling and mechanics in type 2 diabetes. Tim moved to Colorado in 2023 to join the Woulfe lab for his first post-doctoral fellowship, where he has been awarded an American Heart Association Post-Doctoral Fellowship to study histone deacetylase 8 as a novel mechanism for the modulation of relaxation. In his free time, Tim enjoys hiking in the Rockies and watching rugby and cricket.
Lab Joy