I. Mark Olfert, PhD, RRT, FAHA

Research Interests

My laboratory conducts research in cardiopulmonary and skeletal muscle physiology as it pertains to health and disease. My research covers two broad areas, 1) pulmonary gas exchange and ventilation under conditions of stress (e.g. disease, exercise, high altitude) and 2) factors limiting O2 transport and exercise capacity, particularly in context of the formation and/or remodeling of skeletal muscle microvessels (i.e. angiogenesis) in chronic diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic heart failure (CHF), renal failure, and/or diabetes.

The current major focus in my laboratory is to better understand the molecular regulation of skeletal muscle angiogenesis. One factor of particular interest is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is a critical factor for vessel formation during growth and development, but is also found to be important throughout life (e.g. in response to wound healing, tumor progression, and exercise-induced skeletal muscle angiogenesis). Recent discoveries in my laboratory have also expanded our interest in the role of negative angiogenic regulators and extracellular matrix proteins, such as thrombospondin (TSP) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), may play in pathophysiology of cardiac and skeletal muscle co-morbidities associated with COPD and other chronic diseases.

Students working in my laboratory can expect to learn and use a multidisciplinary approach in involving cellular and molecular, histochemical, biochemical, and classical physiologic techniques in the study of human and animal (i.e. transgenic) models. These studies take a translational approach to better understand the pathophysiology of cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction in association chronic cardiac, respiratory and/or metabolic disease.

Grants and Research

Current Grants and Contracts

PI unless otherwise stated

• AHA Collaborative Sciences Award #20CSA35320107, 2021 - 2024
• NIH R21 ES033026-01, 2020 - 2022

Completed Grants and Contracts

PI unless otherwise stated

• NIH U54G M104942-05S1, 2020 - 2021
  • PD Hodder, PI Olfert
• American Cancer Society #16-143-07-IRG Phillip R. Dino Innovative Research, 2017 - 2018
• WVCTI Obesity/Metabolic Disease Pilot Project Grant, NIH/NIGMS U54GM104942 ($50,000), 2014 - 2015
• WVU Research Corporation: Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (PSCoR) ($25,000), 2014
• American Cancer Society / Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center (ACS-IRG) Award ($30,000), 2012 - 2013
• WVU Research Funding and Development Grant ($25,000), 2012
• American Heart Association (Great Rivers Affiliate), Beginning Grant-in-Aid ($120,000), 2009 - 2011
• NIH Clinical Research LRP Award ($21,948), 2006 - 2008
• NIH R01 #HL080203, 2006 - 2010
  • Co-Investigator
• Tobacco Related Disease Research Program, New Investigator Award ($269,500), 2005 - 2008
• NASA/National Space Biomedical Research Institute, 2005 - 2009
  • Co-Investigator
• Parker B. Francis Fellowship Award in Pulmonary Research ($132,000), 2005 - 2008
• NIH Clinical Research LRP Award ($54,200), 2004 - 2006
• American Heart Association (Western States Affiliate), Beginning Grant-in-Aid ($140,000), 2003 - 2005

Publications

1. EN Burrage*, E Aboaziza*, L Hare, S Reppert, J Moore, WT Goldsmith, EE Kelley, A Mills, D Dakhlallah, PD Chanter and IM Olfert. Long Term Cerebrovascular Dysfunction in the Offspring from Maternal Electronic Cigarette Use during Pregnancy. AJP Heart Circ 321: H339-352, 2021. *Shared first authors. PMID: 34170194

   ****Awarded APSselect article for August 2021 https://journals.physiology.org/apsselect/archives.2021#august

2. J O’Reilly*, KD Ono-Moore*, SV Chintapalli, JM Rutkowsky, T Tolentino, KC Kent Lloyd, IM Olfert†, SH Adams†. Sex differences in skeletal muscle revealed through fiber type, capillarity, and transcriptomics profiling in mice. Physiol Reports, Aug. 2021. DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15031 *Shared first authors, † corresponding authors. PMID:34545692
3. A. Mills, D. Dakhlallah, M. Robinson, A. Kirk, S. Llavina, J.W. Boyd, P.D. Chantler, IM Olfert. Short-term effects of electronic cigarettes on cerebrovascular function: A time course study. Exp Physio 107(8):994-1006, 2022. DOI: 10.1113/EP090341. Epub 2022 Jun 17.  PMID: 35661445
4. E. Aboaziza, K. Feaster, L. Hare, P.D. Chantler, I.M. Olfert. Maternal Electronic Cigarette Use During Pregnancy Affects Long-term Arterial Function in Offspring. J. Appl. Physiol 134(1):59-71, 2023.

   PMID: 36417201

5. CR Pitzer, EA Aboaziza, JM O’Reilly, WK Mandler, IM Olfert. Nicotine and Microvascular Responses in Skeletal Muscle from Acute Exposure to Cigarettes and Vaping. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 24 (12): 10208, 2023. PMID 37373356
6. A. Mills, J. Frazier, R. Plants, E. Burrage, T. Coblentz, S. Nassabeh, M. Robinson, P.D. Chantler and I.M. Olfert. Effects of Electronic Cigarette E-liquid and Device Wattage on Vascular Function. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 474 (116631), 2023. PMID 37468077
7. A. Mills, L. Shouldis, M. Cook, A.C, Ranpara, P.D. Chantler, and I.M. Olfert. Gestation, not lacation, is to blame for postnatal vascular dysfunction in offspring with maternal electronic cigarette exposure. J. Am. Heart. Assoc. 13:e034030, 2024. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.123.034030, PMID38533948
8. I. Mark Olfert and Anand C. Ranapara. Tobacco and Nicotine Delivery Devices: Influences on Cardiovascular Health and Toxicology. Reference Module in Biomedical Sciences doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95488-4.00081-4
9. M. Velayutham, A. Mills, V.V. Khramtosov, I.M. Olfert. An electron paramagnetic resonance time course study of oxidative stress in the plasma of electronic cigarettes exposed rats. Exp. Physiol. 2024 Aug 1. doi: 10.1113/EP092064. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39090831
10. A. Mills, S. Nassebeh, A. Hurley, L. Shouldis, P.D. Chantler, D. Dakhlallah, and I.M. Olfert. Influence of gestational window on offspring vascular health in rodents with in utero exposure to electronic cigarettes.  J. Physiol. 602(17):4271-4289, 2024. doi: 10.1113/JP286493. PMID: 39106241

    ****This article was selected as ‘Editor’s Choice’ award, AND was the focus of an editorial perspective article:  Vaping for two: unraveling the mysteries of E-cigarette and fetal vascular health. doi.org/10.1113/JP287313

11. A. Mills, M. Velayutham, D. Corbin, L. Suter, M. Robinson, V.V. Khramtosov, L. Shouldis, M. Cook, D. Dakhallah, P.D. Chantler, and I.M. Olfert. Maternal use of electronic cigarettes and impact on offspring: A double-hit model. J. Appl. Physiol. 137(3):690-704, 2024. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00345.2024. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39088647
12. Maeve Morris, Benjamin Duncan, M Piazuelo, I. Mark Olfert, Xiaojiang Xu, Salik Hussain, Richard Peek, and Jonathan Busada. Chronic cigarette smoke exposure masks pathological features of Helicobacter pylori infection while promoting tumor initiation. Cancer Prevention Research 18(5):271-281, 2025. 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-24-0378 PMID: 39789851
13. A. Mills, D. Dakhlallah, A. Ranpara, W.T. Goldsmith, P.D. Chantler, Y-W Huang, J. Boyd, and I.M. Olfert. Pregnancy and Postpartum Effects of Electronic Cigarettes on Maternal Health and Vascular Function in the Fourth Trimester. Cardiovascular Toxicology 25(3):325-340 March 2025. doi: 10.1007/s12012-025-09961-x  PMID:39841346

    ****This article was selected “Best Paper in 2025” award in Cardiovascular Toxicology journal by SpringerNATURE

14. A. Mills, D. Corbin, D. Dakhlallah, P.D. Chantler, and I.M. Olfert. Nicotine influence on vascular and neurocognitive function with in utero electronic cigarette exposure.  J. Physiol  Nov;603(22):7281-7304. Epub 2025 Oct 9. doi/10.1113/JP289175  PMID:41064899

     ****This article was selected for an editorial highlight:  In utero electronic cigarette exposure may have mind blowing impacts on the offspring. doi.org/10.1113/JP290093  PMID: 41091594