Joseph M. Metzger, PhD

Professor and Chair, Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology
Maurice B. Visscher Endowed Chair in Physiology

Joseph M. Metzger is Professor and Chair of Integrative Biology and Physiology at the University of Minnesota. Previously, he was Professor and Associate Chair of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, and Director of the Center for Integrative Genomics at the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

He held a joint faculty appointment in Internal Medicine and was a University of Michigan faculty member of the Cell and Molecular Biology Program, the Organogenesis Center, the Cardiovascular Research Center, the Multipurpose Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disease Center, the Diabetes Center, and was a Senior Research Scientist in the Institute of Gerontology.

Metzger, associate editor of Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics and past member of the NIH Cardiovascular Study Section, was a leading player in developing the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center. He also was a driving force in—and director of—the University of Michigan's new Center for Integrative Genomics, which is working to advance understanding of the function of genes within an organism.

Metzger was born in Mankato MN, and grew up in St. Paul MN. His early formative years interconnected his interest in science and sports, the former highlighted by a third place ribbon at his 7th grade science fair uncovering the marvels of chemical electrolysis. Little did he know the hydrogen and oxygen atoms separated were potentially quite explosive! He received a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Science from Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota (1980), a Master’s degree in Biology and Exercise Physiology from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana (1982), a Ph.D. degree in Biology/Physiology under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Fitts from Marquette University Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1985), and performed post doctoral studies with Dr. Richard Moss at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (1991).

Honors and Awards
1976, Saint John’s University Academic Scholarship
1984, Marquette University Research Fellowship
1985, Pharmacia Award for Exceptional Achievement in Biological Research by a Graduate Student
1986, NIH National Research Service Award
1991, Whitaker Foundation Biomedical Research Award
1992, Young Investigator Award, American Heart Association Snowbird Conference
1993, Boots Pharmaceutical Heart Failure Research Prize Finalist
1993, Young Investigator Award, American Heart Association, Asilomar Conference
1994 Established Investigator, American Heart Association
1995-, Associate Editor: Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics
1996, Council on Circulation Research Award Finalist
1996, Edgar D. Prince Research Award
1998, American Heart Association Cardiovascular Research Prize Finalist
1999/2001/2002, Finalist, Kaiser-Permanente Award for Excellence in Medical Student Teaching
1999, Elizabeth A. Crosby Medical School Teaching Award
1999, Michigan Medical Student Award for Teaching Excellence
2000 & 2003, Michigan Medical School Teaching Recognition
1999-2003, Full member, NIH Cardiovascular A (CVA) Study Section
2002, Faculty Recognition Award, University of Michigan
2005-present, Editorial board, American Journal of Physiology/Heart and Circulation.

Research Interests

• Integrative systems biology of cardiovascular function
• Cardiac genetic engineering and experimental cardia gene therapy
• Transgenic models of heart disease
• Molecular mechanisms of sarcomere function

Selected Publications (2005-2009) 

1. Day SM, Westfall MV and Metzger JM. Tuning Cardiac Performance in Ischemic Heart Disease and Failure by Modulating Myofilament Function. Journal of Molecular Medicine. Sep; 85(9): 911-21, 2007.

2. Davis J, Wen H, Edwards T, and Metzger JM. Thin filament disinhibition by restrictive cardiomyopathy mutant R193H troponin I induces Ca2+-independent mechanical tone and acute myocyte remodeling. Circulation Research. May; 100(10):1494-502, 2007.

3. Westfall MV, and Metzger JM. Single amino acid substitutions define isoform-specific effects of troponin I on myofilament Ca2+ and pH sensitivity. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. Aug; 43(2): 107-18, 2007.

4. Yasuda S, Coutu P, Sadayappan S, Robbins J, and Metzger JM. Cardiac transgenic and gene transfer strategies converge to support an important role for troponin I in regulating relaxation in cardiac myocytes. Circulation Research. Aug; 101(4): 377-86, 2007.

5. DeWayne Townsend, Soichiro Yasuda, Sheng Li, Jeffrey S Chamberlain, Joseph M Metzger. Emergent dilated cardiomyopathy by targeted repair of dystrophic skeletal muscle. Molecular Therapy. 16:832-5. 2008.

6. Ekaterina V. Fomicheva, Immanuel I. Turner, Terri G. Edwards, Janet Hoff, Eric Arden, Louis G. D’Alecy and Joseph M. Metzger. Double oxygen sensing vector system for robust hypoxia/ischemia-regulated gene induction in cardiac muscle in vitro and in vivo. Molecular Therapy. 16:1594-601, 2008.

7. Day SM, Coutu P, Wang W, Herron T, Turner I, Shillingford M, Lacross NC, Converso KL, Piao L, Li J, Lopatin AN, Metzger JM. Cardiac-directed parvalbumin transgene expression in mice shows marked heart rate dependence of delayed Ca2+ buffering action. Physiological Genomics. 33(3):312-22, 2008.