About the NHLBI Outstanding Investigator Award
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Outstanding Investigator Award (OIA) is designed to boost scientific productivity and innovation by offering extended support and increased flexibility to experienced researchers who have an outstanding track record in heart, lung, blood and sleep (HLBS) research.
Ceci Giachelli
Marta Scatena
Cecilia Giachelli, the Steven R. and Connie R. Rogel Endowed Professor for Cardiovascular Innovation in Bioengineering, has received a competitive extension on her previous NIH NHLBI OIA award, which will provide $7 million in funding to be dispersed over the next seven years. Giachelli is the principle investigator for the Giachelli lab, which works in collaboration with co-investigator Marta Scatena, research associate professor of bioengineering and principle investigator for the Scatena lab. Together, they are investigating the mechanisms behind vascular calcification in the hopes of advancing clinical knowledge and developing new therapies to treat the condition.
Unlike many other grants that fund specific projects, the OIA supports a researcher’s entire program for up to seven years. This long-term backing allows program directors and principal investigators to explore new ideas, build on previous breakthroughs and take on more ambitious projects with greater risks and longer timeframes. The research must align with the NHLBI mission, which prioritizes research that increases our understanding of and ability to address HLBS diseases.
Advancing our understanding of vascular calcification
Vascular calcification is a condition that is caused by abnormal deposits of a bone-like mineral in the vascular system and heart valves. The likelihood of developing the condition increases with age, and other diseases can also enhance risk—including diabetes, vascular and valvular diseases, and chronic kidney disease. When organs become calcified, they become less flexible and begin to stiffen, which contributes to a decline in cardiovascular function and can lead to heart failure. There are currently no drugs that address vascular calcification.
Giachelli and her team have been studying the molecular pathways, cell types and processes that control the development of vascular calcification. They’ve discovered that it’s not an inevitable, untreatable process; instead, it’s a regulated and potentially changeable one. The researchers have identified certain substances that can either promote or inhibit vascular calcification, as well as sensors that are crucial in regulating it.
The challenge researchers face now is to understand which processes are most significant in relation to specific health conditions and the crucial pathways that control them. This understanding is essential in order to identify biomarkers and targets for therapeutic development. Giachelli’s research aims to uncover the mechanisms at play in diseases like diabetes and chronic kidney disease, which have a high risk of vascular calcification and the associated complications. The team is using a “human first” approach, looking at key risk factors and conducting studies on cells, organoids and preclinical models to identify the pathways involved. The ultimate goal is to fill in gaps in our knowledge, find biomarkers and develop therapies to treat this condition for better human health.