The heart can be stressed in various ways (developmental defects, hypertension, ischemia, chemotherapies, etc.), and myocardial tissue responds by remodeling to compensate and maintain cardiac output. The ability for cardiac cells to undergo cell fate transitions during myocardial remodeling underlies the dynamic resilience of the heart, with disruptions to these processes driving pathogenic remodeling and eventually leading to heart failure.  By using approaches ranging from murine models of heart disease to bioinformatic analyses of single cell transcriptomics, with translational clinical data analyses and mechanistic cell culture models, we are investigating cardiac interstitial cell fate transitions and underling mechanistic drivers of regenerative and pathogenic myocardial remodeling.  Current projects in the lab focus on cardiac microvascular remodeling, somatic mutations, and cardio-oncology. Our ultimate goal is to identify therapeutic strategies towards increasing resilience to heart disease and improving overall healthspan and lifespan of patients.

We are located within the highly collaborative and scientifically productive Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Seattle Children’s Research Institute in Seattle, WA.  Dr. Chavkin is also an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology.  The Chavkin Lab officially opened July 1, 2024.  We are seeking new lab members who want to help advance these research goals!