Two doctoral candidates at Florida State University have been granted prestigious 2025 American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowships.
Leila Khalili, a PhD student in the Nutrition and Food Science program at the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, alongside Emily Shiel, a PhD student in the College of Medicine, are the recipients of this two-year fellowship.
“Being awarded the AHA Predoctoral Fellowship is a remarkable achievement,” Khalili remarked. “The financial support enables me to delve deeper into my research, engage with larger datasets, and enhance my methodologies. This acknowledgment also aids my professional objectives by creating pathways for additional research partnerships and establishing my role as a scholar in cardiovascular health and microbiota.”
Khalili’s research examines how the advantageous gut bacterium, Akkermansia muciniphila, might affect plaque formation in the arteries — a crucial element in the progression of atherosclerosis. This condition, notable for the constriction and hardening of arteries due to plaque accumulation, significantly contributes to cardiovascular ailments.
The gut microbiota, an intricate consortium of bacteria within the digestive tract, is pivotal in various facets of our well-being, including cardiovascular health, as highlighted by Khalili.
“This fellowship emphasizes the necessity of investigating alternative methods for cardiovascular disease prevention, like dietary changes and gut microbiota adjustment,” Khalili stated. “It inspires me to persist in advancing my work and to contribute to the expanding research landscape that is transforming our approach to heart health. It also reinforces my dedication to enhancing public health by fostering more personalized, effective, and accessible treatments for cardiovascular conditions.”
Shiel’s doctoral research concentrates on arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, a hereditary heart condition induced by genetic anomalies in components of the cardiac muscle, which results in ventricular arrhythmias.
“Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a hereditary heart ailment and a prominent factor in sudden cardiac death among the young,” Shiel explained. “Hearts of these individuals become inflamed, leading to cell death and scar formation. This compromises the heart’s ability to pump efficiently and may induce irregular heart rhythms.”
Particularly, Shiel is studying a kind of white blood cell known as neutrophils, which are the first immune cells to mobilize during bodily injuries and aid in tissue repair. In most individuals, they subside after the injury. However, in ACM patients, they persist and could potentially lead to health complications.
Employing animal models, Shiel intends to eliminate a gene and inhibit a specific protein that promotes heart inflammation.
“This aligns closely with the AHA’s mission by identifying potential targets to avert heart inflammation in ACM and other cardiovascular diseases,” Shiel stated.
The American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship supports budding researchers whose projects hold significant promise for enhancing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular science and brain health. The fellowship offers approximately $70,000 in funding to assist their respective research endeavors.
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