UVA-led study shows combining cardiac MRI + a blood test better identifies who’s at highest risk from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy—helping save lives while avoiding unnecessary implants. A big step forward for precision heart care https://ow.ly/6wIt50Z169r

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Registry (HCMR) Outcomes jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Registry (HCMR) Outcomes

This cohort study examines whether combining clinical history, imaging, and genetic and blood markers could predict risk of adverse events in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, including sudde...

jamanetwork.com

Ken Walsh, PhD, and collaborators received $3.3 million from the NIH to study how men losing their Y chromosomes over time can contribute to heart failure. Congratulations Ken, Amit Patel, MD, & Mohammad Abuannadi, MD! cvrc.virginia.edu/walshhfpefr01/

Walsh and Collaborators Receive $3.3 Million to Study Sex-Specific Mechanisms of Heart Failure – Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center

CVRC resident member Ken Walsh, PhD, received an NIH R01 award exceeding $3.3 million to study the effects of the loss of Y chromosomes (LOY) in men on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). While other modes of heart failure have become more survivable, HFpEF has few treatments and poor outcomes. Interestingly, while women are more likely to be diagnosed with HFpEF, men have higher rates of mortality. Walsh’s research team recently showed that age-related LOY is connected to age-related heart failure. As people age, their cells accumulate mutations. Sometimes, mutant cells can outcompete their non-mutated counterparts, resulting in atypical cell populations becoming dominant over time. One manifestation of this process in men is the progressive loss of their Y chromosomes. In fact, Walsh has shown that the progressive LOY can account for much of the 6-year difference in life expectancy between men and women in industrialized nations. Walsh, alongside his collaborators in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine Amit Patel, MD, and Mohammad Abuannadi, MD, hypothesizes that LOY contributes to the higher rates of HFpEF mortality in men.

cvrc.virginia.edu

Resident Member Jonathan Lindner, MD, presented to the Charlottesville community through the UVA Research U Ask, UVA Answers series. He spoke about how UVA is instrumental to the past and future of advanced ultrasound techniques. Read more: cvrc.virginia.edu/lindner_uask/

Jonathan Lindner, MD, Shares Research Insights With Charlottesville Community – Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center

The U Ask, UVA Answers series continues February 8 with a presentation by Kelsey Johnson, PhD, from the Department of Astronomy.

cvrc.virginia.edu

Two members of the Sonkusare Lab received awards at this year's NAVBO meeting! Maniselvan Kuppusamy, PhD, (left) won this year's Microcirculatory Society Emerging Leader Award. Fênix Araujo, PhD, (right) received a conference travel award. Congrats to you both!

We have a job opening in the Khetarpal lab! Research Associate, The Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center jobs.virginia.edu/us/en/job/R0...

Research Associate, The Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America | Research at University of Virginia

Apply for Research Associate, The Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center job with University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America. Research at University of Virgi...

jobs.virginia.edu

Last month, Matteo Morello, MD, and Bethany Gholson won the Research Investigator Awards at the 2025 American Society of Echocardiography conference! Congratulations to you both! Read more: www.cvrc.virginia.edu/ase-2025/

We welcome new member Sumeet Khetarpal, MD, PhD! Dr. Khetarpal joins us from @mghcvrc.bsky.social, recently received a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award, and published his first @uvahealth.bsky.social-affiliated paper in @natcardiovascres.nature.com! Read: www.cvrc.virginia.edu/skhetarpal-joins

Fênix Alexandra de Araujo, PhD, a Sonkusare Lab postdoc, studies how mineralocorticoids and ion channels regulate blood pressure. Fênix's research may lead to hypertension treatments. Her lab skills are matched by her baking talent!

@brantisakson.bsky.social Lab postdoc @lukedunaway.bsky.social, PhD, studies the intersection of iron metabolism and cardiovascular disease in anemia and chronic kidney disease. A hiker and boulderer, he will finish hiking all of Shenandoah NP this year.

Inspired by family losses to heart attacks, Sohel Shamsuzzaman, PhD, studies arterial plaques in the Owens Lab. He has identified drugs that help prevent heart attacks and strokes. Sohel also enjoys the outdoors with this dog & family, walking and gardening in particular.

Brooke O'Donnell, PhD, works at the molecular level to understand how Pannexin proteins affect blood pressure, blood flow, and blood vessel dilation. @brookeodonnell.bsky.social is also a hockey player, reader, and the @brantisakson.bsky.social Lab's resident tea evangelist.

CVRC Postdoc Michele Marchetta, MD, is an expert in cardiovascular diseases, seeking to improve patient care by controlling inflammation. He works as a coordinator & sub-investigator for several clinical trials and assists in patient phenotyping research in the Abbate lab.

Happy National Postdoc Appreciation Week! Postdocs are integral to the research being done in our Center, and we thank you all for your hard work! The rest of the week, we'll be highlighting an exceptional @uvahealth.bsky.social postdoc each day. Stay tuned!

Obesity affects about 4 in 10 US adults & 1 in 5 children. The Sonkusare Lab's new study in Circulation Research identifies an inflammatory mechanism in obesity that leads to high blood pressure and the therapeutic potential of targeting it. Read more: www.cvrc.virginia.edu/sonkusare-ci... #medsky

Over 40% of males over 70 show some Y chromosome loss (LOY). In a new @science.org Translational Medicine paper, CVRC members Ken Walsh, PhD, and Yohei Arai, MD, PhD, study LOY in the kidneys and show that the damage it causes can be reversed. Read more: cvrc.virginia.edu/walsh-arai-l... #medsky

New research from Antonio Abbate, MD, finds a drug therapy for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)! “When the heart rate is controlled with ivabradine, ... patients feel better.” #cardiology #medsky

Heart Failure Drug Relieves POTS Symptoms, Study Finds

An existing heart failure drug can provide relief for POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), a new study suggests.

newsroom.uvahealth.com

CVRC trainees mentored by Matt Wolf, MD, PhD and @jsauce7.bsky.social represented the Center and @uvahealth.bsky.social well at the 2025 @ahascience.bsky.social BCVS conference. Congrats Alex, Bryce, Julian, and Katie! Read more: www.cvrc.virginia.edu/cvrc-trainee... #cardiology #BCVS2025

Swapnil Sonkusare, PhD, was named a @uvahealth.bsky.social Pinn Scholar earlier this month! We talked about the award, future research directions, and mentorship. Read on our website, below. #Cardiology #medsky

"The goal is to understand cellular signals and mechanisms so they can be targeted for therapy in conditions like high blood pressure, obesity, atherosclerosis, & lung injury." CVRC member Swapnil Sonkusare, PhD, is featured in this week's @uvahealth.bsky.social Research in Motion video! #medsky

Why travel to Denmark to collect samples from a giraffe's heart? @brantisakson.bsky.social lab members Skylar Loeb and @lukedunaway.bsky.social made the trip to learn more about diastolic heart failure. Red more: www.cvrc.virginia.edu/cvrc-trainee... #cardiology #medsky

Clint Miller, PhD, was featured in this week's Research in Motion. Hear about @clintomics.bsky.social's research below!

Resident Member Swapnil Sonkusare, PhD, was named a 2025 Pinn Scholar! The award recognizes scientific expertise, mentoring, and service. Congratulations, Swapnil! news.med.virginia.edu/featured/wel...

2025 Class of Pinn Scholars Appointed - Featured - Medicine in Motion News

Please join the School of Medicine in congratulating the following 2025 Class of Pinn Scholars, selected for a three-year term effective July 1, 2025. Anna Cliffe, PhD, Associate Professor, Department...

news.med.virginia.edu

I appreciate UVA Today featuring our recent paper on logic-based machine learning for drug repurposing, validated in cells, mice, and electronic health records. news.virginia.edu/content/uva-...

"We identify an unmet medical need, thoroughly investigate what's known, devise an experimental strategy to answer the question better, and hopefully identify ways of better treating patients." CVRC Director Gary Owens, PhD, is featured by @uvahealth.bsky.social! #cardiosky #medsky #cardiology

@chriskramermd.bsky.social, George A. Beller MD/Lantheus Medical Imaging Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and CVRC member, became President of @accintouch.bsky.social at their annual meeting. Congratulations, Dr. Kramer! Read: www.cvrc.virginia.edu/christopher-... #cardiosky

Want to stay current with cardiology at UVA? Check out our starter pack! If you're a cardiologist at UVA and want to be included in the list, DM us! go.bsky.app/3NVEjJ5

@lukedunaway.bsky.social, PhD, recently received an @americanheart.bsky.social Career Development Award to study iron's role in chronic kidney disease. Luke is a postdoc in @brantisakson.bsky.social's Lab and member of our Cardiovascular Training Program. Congratulations! #CardioSky #MedSky

"The whole thing about gene therapy is you need to get enough gene in the right place in a site-specific manner in a safe process." Jonathan Lindner, MD, is working to improve the safety and efficacy of gene therapies. Read more below! #cardiology #cardiosky #medsky #genetherapy

Quick video summary of my research: We develop computational and experimental methods to discover drugs for heart disease 🧪 youtu.be/nmpFDiE4GSg

Jeff Saucerman, PhD, uses computational and experimental methods to find new drugs for heart disease

YouTube video by UVA - School of Medicine

youtu.be