Anthony Baker, PhD
Professor
Medicine
School of Medicine

We are studying heart failure involving the right ventricle (RV) of the heart. Currently, there is no effective pharmacologic treatment for RV failure. Our recent studies show that a class of adrenergic drugs can reverse RV failure. We are investigating how these drugs work, and if they might be used to treat RV failure.

• Theoretical Analysis of Power-Law Stress Relaxation and Calcium-Dependent Passive Mechanics in Cardiac Muscle.
  bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2025 Ježek F, Baker AJ, Nordsletten DA, Beard DA
• Increased length-dependent activation of human engineered heart tissue after chronic α1A-adrenergic agonist treatment: testing a novel heart failure therapy.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2023 Rupert C, López JE, Cortez-Toledo E, De la Cruz Cabrera O, Chesler NC, Simpson PC, Campbell SG, Baker AJ
• Reduced cardiac muscle power with low ATP simulating heart failure.
  Biophysical journal 2022 Beard DA, Marzban B, Li OY, Campbell KS, Janssen PML, Chesler NC, Baker AJ
• Emergence of Mechano-Sensitive Contraction Autoregulation in Cardiomyocytes.
  Life (Basel, Switzerland) 2021 Izu L, Shimkunas R, Jian Z, Hegyi B, Kazemi-Lari M, Baker A, Shaw J, Banyasz T, Chen-Izu Y
• Mechanical Load Regulates Excitation-Ca2+ Signaling-Contraction in Cardiomyocyte.
  Circulation research 2021 Shimkunas R, Hegyi B, Jian Z, Shaw JA, Kazemi-Lari MA, Mitra D, Leach JK, Li X, Jaradeh M, Balardi N, Chen YJ, Escobar AL, Baker AJ, Bossuyt J, Banyasz T, Chiamvimonvat N, Lam KS, Bers DM, Izu LT, …
• Myocardial injection of a thermoresponsive hydrogel with reactive oxygen species scavenger properties improves border zone contractility.
  Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A 2020 Spaulding KA, Zhu Y, Takaba K, Ramasubramanian A, Badathala A, Haraldsson H, Collins A, Aguayo E, Shah C, Wallace AW, Ziats NP, Lovett DH, Baker AJ, Healy KE, Ratcliffe MB
• Coupling to Gq Signaling Is Required for Cardioprotection by an Alpha-1A-Adrenergic Receptor Agonist.
  Circulation research 2019 Myagmar BE, Ismaili T, Swigart PM, Raghunathan A, Baker AJ, Sahdeo S, Blevitt JM, Milla ME, Simpson PC
• Monitoring the Health Status of Mice with Bleomycin-induced Lung Injury by Using Body Condition Scoring.
  Comparative medicine 2019 Cowley PM, Roberts CR, Baker AJ
• Reversal of right ventricular failure by chronic α1A-subtype adrenergic agonist therapy.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2018 Cowley PM, Wang G, Swigart PM, Raghunathan A, Reddy N, Dulam P, Lovett DH, Simpson PC, Baker AJ
• Human Myocardium Has a Robust α1A-Subtype Adrenergic Receptor Inotropic Response.
  Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology 2018 Janssen PML, Canan BD, Kilic A, Whitson BA, Baker AJ
• Multiscale Computational Analysis of Right Ventricular Mechanoenergetics.
  Journal of biomechanical engineering 2018 Pewowaruk RJ, Philip JL, Tewari SG, Chen CS, Nyaeme MS, Wang Z, Tabima DM, Baker AJ, Beard DA, Chesler NC
• Impaired Myofilament Contraction Drives Right Ventricular Failure Secondary to Pressure Overload: Model Simulations, Experimental Validation, and Treatment Predictions.
  Frontiers in physiology 2018 Philip JL, Pewowaruk RJ, Chen CS, Tabima DM, Beard DA, Baker AJ, Chesler NC
• Short term doxycycline treatment induces sustained improvement in myocardial infarction border zone contractility.
  PloS one 2018 Spaulding K, Takaba K, Collins A, Faraji F, Wang G, Aguayo E, Ge L, Saloner D, Wallace AW, Baker AJ, Lovett DH, Ratcliffe MB
• α1A-Subtype adrenergic agonist therapy for the failing right ventricle.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2017 Cowley PM, Wang G, Joshi S, Swigart PM, Lovett DH, Simpson PC, Baker AJ
• Hyperpolarized 13 C magnetic resonance evaluation of renal ischemia reperfusion injury in a murine model.
  NMR in biomedicine 2017 Baligand C, Qin H, True-Yasaki A, Gordon JW, von Morze C, Santos JD, Wilson DM, Raffai R, Cowley PM, Baker AJ, Kurhanewicz J, Lovett DH, Wang ZJ
• Response by Simpson et al to Letter Regarding Article, "Adrenergic Receptors in Individual Ventricular Myocytes: the Beta-1 and Alpha-1B Are in All Cells, the Alpha-1A Is in a Subpopulation, and the Beta-2 and Beta-3 Are Mostly Absent".
  Circulation research 2017 Simpson PC, Myagmar BE, Swigart PM, Melov S, Baker AJ
• An intracellular matrix metalloproteinase-2 isoform induces tubular regulated necrosis: implications for acute kidney injury.
  American journal of physiology. Renal physiology 2017 Ceron CS, Baligand C, Joshi S, Wanga S, Cowley PM, Walker JP, Song SH, Mahimkar R, Baker AJ, Raffai RL, Wang ZJ, Lovett DH
• Adrenergic Receptors in Individual Ventricular Myocytes: The Beta-1 and Alpha-1B Are in All Cells, the Alpha-1A Is in a Subpopulation, and the Beta-2 and Beta-3 Are Mostly Absent.
  Circulation research 2017 Myagmar BE, Flynn JM, Cowley PM, Swigart PM, Montgomery MD, Thai K, Nair D, Gupta R, Deng DX, Hosoda C, Melov S, Baker AJ, Simpson PC
• The Alpha-1A Adrenergic Receptor in the Rabbit Heart.
  PloS one 2016 Thomas RC, Cowley PM, Singh A, Myagmar BE, Swigart PM, Baker AJ, Simpson PC
• A Myocardial Slice Culture Model Reveals Alpha-1A-Adrenergic Receptor Signaling in the Human Heart.
  JACC. Basic to translational science 2016 Thomas RC, Singh A, Cowley P, Myagmar BE, Montgomery MD, Swigart PM, De Marco T, Baker AJ, Simpson PC
• The α1A-adrenergic receptor subtype mediates increased contraction of failing right ventricular myocardium.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2015 Cowley PM, Wang G, Chang AN, Makwana O, Swigart PM, Lovett DH, Stull JT, Simpson PC, Baker AJ
• Constitutive phosphorylation of cardiac myosin regulatory light chain in vivo.
  The Journal of biological chemistry 2015 Chang AN, Battiprolu PK, Cowley PM, Chen G, Gerard RD, Pinto JR, Hill JA, Baker AJ, Kamm KE, Stull JT
• A N-terminal truncated intracellular isoform of matrix metalloproteinase-2 impairs contractility of mouse myocardium.
  Frontiers in physiology 2014 Lovett DH, Chu C, Wang G, Ratcliffe MB, Baker AJ
• Myofilament dysfunction contributes to impaired myocardial contraction in the infarct border zone.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2014 Shimkunas R, Makwana O, Spaulding K, Bazargan M, Khazalpour M, Takaba K, Soleimani M, Myagmar BE, Lovett DH, Simpson PC, Ratcliffe MB, Baker AJ
• Adrenergic signaling in heart failure: a balance of toxic and protective effects.
  Pflugers Archiv : European journal of physiology 2014 Baker AJ
• Cardiac alpha1-adrenergic receptors: novel aspects of expression, signaling mechanisms, physiologic function, and clinical importance.
  Pharmacological reviews 2013 O'Connell TD, Jensen BC, Baker AJ, Simpson PC
• N-terminal truncated intracellular matrix metalloproteinase-2 induces cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, inflammation and systolic heart failure.
  PloS one 2013 Lovett DH, Mahimkar R, Raffai RL, Cape L, Zhu BQ, Jin ZQ, Baker AJ, Karliner JS
• Left ventricular myocardial contractility is depressed in the borderzone after posterolateral myocardial infarction.
  The Annals of thoracic surgery 2013 Shimkunas R, Zhang Z, Wenk JF, Soleimani M, Khazalpour M, Acevedo-Bolton G, Wang G, Saloner D, Mishra R, Wallace AW, Ge L, Baker AJ, Guccione JM, Ratcliffe MB
• Intraventricular and interventricular cellular heterogeneity of inotropic responses to α(1)-adrenergic stimulation.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2013 Chu C, Thai K, Park KW, Wang P, Makwana O, Lovett DH, Simpson PC, Baker AJ
• The benefit of enhanced contractility in the infarct borderzone: a virtual experiment.
  Frontiers in physiology 2012 Zhang Z, Sun K, Saloner DA, Wallace AW, Ge L, Baker AJ, Guccione JM, Ratcliffe MB
• Refueling the heart: Using 2-deoxy-ATP to enhance cardiac contractility.
  Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology 2011 Baker AJ
• Myo-mechanical analysis of isolated skeletal muscle.
  Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE 2011 Oishi PE, Cholsiripunlert S, Gong W, Baker AJ, Bernstein HS
• Distinctive ERK and p38 signaling in remote and infarcted myocardium during post-MI remodeling in the mouse.
  Journal of cellular biochemistry 2010 Yeh CC, Li H, Malhotra D, Turcato S, Nicholas S, Tu R, Zhu BQ, Cha J, Swigart PM, Myagmar BE, Baker AJ, Simpson PC, Mann MJ
• Heart failure switches the RV alpha1-adrenergic inotropic response from negative to positive.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2009 Wang GY, Yeh CC, Jensen BC, Mann MJ, Simpson PC, Baker AJ
• A computationally efficient formal optimization of regional myocardial contractility in a sheep with left ventricular aneurysm.
  Journal of biomechanical engineering 2009 Sun K, Stander N, Jhun CS, Zhang Z, Suzuki T, Wang GY, Saeed M, Wallace AW, Tseng EE, Baker AJ, Saloner D, Einstein DR, Ratcliffe MB, Guccione JM
• Expression of a Gi-coupled receptor in the heart causes impaired Ca2+ handling, myofilament injury, and dilated cardiomyopathy.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2007 McCloskey DT, Turcato S, Wang GY, Turnbull L, Zhu BQ, Bambino T, Nguyen AP, Lovett DH, Nissenson RA, Karliner JS, Baker AJ
• Transgenic MMP-2 expression induces latent cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction.
  Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2007 Zhou HZ, Ma X, Gray MO, Zhu BQ, Nguyen AP, Baker AJ, Simonis U, Cecchini G, Lovett DH, Karliner JS
• Contrasting inotropic responses to alpha1-adrenergic receptor stimulation in left versus right ventricular myocardium.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2006 Wang GY, McCloskey DT, Turcato S, Swigart PM, Simpson PC, Baker AJ
• Alpha1-adrenergic receptors prevent a maladaptive cardiac response to pressure overload.
  The Journal of clinical investigation 2006 O'Connell TD, Swigart PM, Rodrigo MC, Ishizaka S, Joho S, Turnbull L, Tecott LH, Baker AJ, Foster E, Grossman W, Simpson PC
• Ischemic preconditioning depends on age and gender.
  Basic research in cardiology 2006 Turcato S, Turnbull L, Wang GY, Honbo N, Simpson PC, Karliner JS, Baker AJ
• Sustained preconditioning induced by cardiac transgenesis with the tetracycline transactivator.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2005 Turnbull L, Zhou HZ, Swigart PM, Turcato S, Karliner JS, Conklin BR, Simpson PC, Baker AJ
• Cardiac transgenic matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression directly induces impaired contractility.
  Cardiovascular research 2005 Wang GY, Bergman MR, Nguyen AP, Turcato S, Swigart PM, Rodrigo MC, Simpson PC, Karliner JS, Lovett DH, Baker AJ
• Cardiac transgenesis with the tetracycline transactivator changes myocardial function and gene expression.
  Physiological genomics 2005 McCloskey DT, Turnbull L, Swigart PM, Zambon AC, Turcato S, Joho S, Grossman W, Conklin BR, Simpson PC, Baker AJ
• Abnormal myocardial contraction in alpha(1A)- and alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor double-knockout mice.
  Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology 2003 McCloskey DT, Turnbull L, Swigart P, O'Connell TD, Simpson PC, Baker AJ
• Alpha 1-adrenergic receptor responses in alpha 1AB-AR knockout mouse hearts suggest the presence of alpha 1D-AR.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2002 Turnbull L, McCloskey DT, O'Connell TD, Simpson PC, Baker AJ
• Alpha(1)-adrenoceptor subtypes mediate negative inotropy in myocardium from alpha(1A/C)-knockout and wild type mice.
  Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology 2002 McCloskey DT, Rokosh DG, O'Connell TD, Keung EC, Simpson PC, Baker AJ
• Abnormal contraction caused by expression of G(i)-coupled receptor in transgenic model of dilated cardiomyopathy.
  American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2001 Baker AJ, Redfern CH, Harwood MD, Simpson PC, Conklin BR
• Conditional expression of a Gi-coupled receptor causes ventricular conduction delay and a lethal cardiomyopathy.
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2000 Redfern CH, Degtyarev MY, Kwa AT, Salomonis N, Cotte N, Nanevicz T, Fidelman N, Desai K, Vranizan K, Lee EK, Coward P, Shah N, Warrington JA, Fishman GI, Bernstein D, Baker AJ, Conklin BR
• Role of slowed Ca(2+) transient decline in slowed relaxation during myocardial ischemia.
  Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology 1999 Halow JM, Figueredo VM, Shames DM, Camacho SA, Baker AJ
• Cellular and extracellular mechanisms causing myocardial stunning.
  Journal of the American College of Cardiology 1999 Baker AJ
• Ca2+ regulates the kinetics of tension development in intact cardiac muscle.
  The American journal of physiology 1998 Baker AJ, Figueredo VM, Keung EC, Camacho SA
• Chronic alcohol-induced changes in cardiac contractility are not due to changes in the cytosolic Ca2+ transient.
  The American journal of physiology 1998 Figueredo VM, Chang KC, Baker AJ, Camacho SA
• Force decline during muscle relaxation promotes calcium release to the cytosol.
  The American journal of physiology 1997 Baker AJ, Weiner MW
• Ca(2+)-force relationship of frog skeletal muscle: a dynamic model for parameter estimation.
  The American journal of physiology 1996 Shames DM, Baker AJ, Weiner MW, Camacho SA
• Cytosolic and mitochondrial [Ca2+] in whole hearts using indo-1 acetoxymethyl ester: effects of high extracellular Ca2+.
  Biophysical journal 1996 Schreur JH, Figueredo VM, Miyamae M, Shames DM, Baker AJ, Camacho SA
• The myosin catalytic domain does not rotate during the working power stroke.
  Biophysical journal 1995 Zhao L, Pate E, Baker AJ, Cooke R
• Effects of intracellular acidosis on Ca2+ activation, contraction, and relaxation of frog skeletal muscle.
  The American journal of physiology 1995 Baker AJ, Brandes R, Weiner MW
• Factors which influence alterations of phosphates and pH in exercising human skeletal muscle: measurement error, reproducibility, and effects of fasting, carbohydrate loading, and metabolic acidosis.
  Muscle & nerve 1995 Miller RG, Carson PJ, Moussavi RS, Green A, Baker A, Boska MD, Weiner MW
• Protein and acidosis alter calcium-binding and fluorescence spectra of the calcium indicator indo-1.
  Biophysical journal 1994 Baker AJ, Brandes R, Schreur JH, Camacho SA, Weiner MW
• Metabolic and nonmetabolic components of fatigue monitored with 31P-NMR.
  Muscle & nerve 1994 Baker AJ, Carson PJ, Miller RG, Weiner MW
• Energy use by contractile and noncontractile processes in skeletal muscle estimated by 31P-NMR.
  The American journal of physiology 1994 Baker AJ, Brandes R, Schendel TM, Trocha SD, Miller RG, Weiner MW
• Investigation of factors affecting fluorometric quantitation of cytosolic [Ca2+] in perfused hearts.
  Biophysical journal 1993 Brandes R, Figueredo VM, Camacho SA, Baker AJ, Weiner MW
• Quantitation of cytosolic [Ca2+] in whole perfused rat hearts using Indo-1 fluorometry.
  Biophysical journal 1993 Brandes R, Figueredo VM, Camacho SA, Baker AJ, Weiner MW
• Slow force recovery after long-duration exercise: metabolic and activation factors in muscle fatigue.
  Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) 1993 Baker AJ, Kostov KG, Miller RG, Weiner MW
• Intracellular tetanic calcium signals are reduced in fatigue of whole skeletal muscle.
  The American journal of physiology 1993 Baker AJ, Longuemare MC, Brandes R, Weiner MW
• Improved preservation of skeletal muscle in amputated limbs using pulsatile hypothermic perfusion with University of Wisconsin solution. A preliminary study.
  The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume 1992 Gordon L, Levinsohn DG, Borowsky CD, Manojlovic RD, Sessler DI, Weiner MW, Baker AJ
• Influence of human muscle length on energy transduction studied by 31P-NMR.
  Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) 1992 Baker AJ, Carson PJ, Green AT, Miller RG, Weiner MW
• Fatigue and myalgia in AIDS patients.
  Neurology 1991 Miller RG, Carson PJ, Moussavi RS, Green AT, Baker AJ, Weiner MW
• Constant relationships between force, phosphate concentration, and pH in muscles with differential fatigability.
  Neurology 1990 Weiner MW, Moussavi RS, Baker AJ, Boska MD, Miller RG
• Investigations of muscle bioenergetics with 31P NMR.
  Investigative radiology 1989 Baker AJ, Carson PJ, Miller RG, Weiner MW