The primary objective of Dr. Kelm’s research program is to uncover the molecular mechanisms responsible for the phenotypic reprogramming of disease or injury-activated cell types of the heart, lung, and vasculature. His laboratory has identified several structurally and functionally novel single-stranded nucleic acid-binding proteins, which regulate the expression of genes encoding specific actin and myosin isoforms present in smooth, skeletal, and cardiac muscle. Using a combination of biochemical, biophysical, cellular, and in vivo approaches, Dr. Kelm’s lab is currently engaged in defining the mechanistic roles of purine-rich element binding proteins A and B (Pur-alpha and Pur-beta) and Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1) in facilitating the phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells in damaged or diseased arteries. Over the past 10 years, Dr. Kelm’s research group has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association.