Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in the US and is often preceded by pathological cardiac hypertrophy due to chronic hypertension and sustained increases in cardiac afterload. While initially an adaptive response to maintain cardiac output and systemic blood supply, pathological cardiac hypertrophy eventually leads to a decompensated state of heart failure (HF). The initial adaptive aspect of hypertrophic growth requires increases in protein synthesis, which must be balanced by adequate protein folding, and degradation of misfolded, potentially toxic proteins. Without this balance, cardiac myocytes cannot maintain protein homeostasis, or proteostasis, which threatens functional cellular integrity and viability. The Blackwood laboratory is focused on elucidating novel mechanisms whereby proteostasis machinery in the heart protects against chronic systemic diseases, such as HF and global metabolic syndrome, translating these discoveries into novel therapeutics, and evaluating their efficacy in preclinical models of HF.Specifically, we have three directives guiding our research program: (1) Elucidate novel mechanisms for heart-directed inter-organ communication during metabolic syndrome (i.e. Axes of Cardiometabolic Health); (2) Determine mechanisms contributing to atrial dysfunction and remodeling during HF; and (3) Determine the contributions of resident cardiac fibroblasts to the pathogenesis of HF.
Specifically, we have three directives guiding our research program: (1) Elucidate novel mechanisms for heart-directed inter-organ communication during metabolic syndrome (i.e. Axes of Cardiometabolic Health); (2) Determine mechanisms contributing to atrial dysfunction and remodeling during HF; and (3) Determine the contributions of resident cardiac fibroblasts to the pathogenesis of HF.
Research Areas
The Blackwood Laboratory studies how the heart’s proteostasis machinery protects against chronic diseases like heart failure and metabolic syndrome, with the goal of developing and testing new therapeutics in preclinical models.
Cardiac Proteostasis and Protein Quality Control
Mitochondrial Metabolism in Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
Cardiac Gene Regulation and Gene Therapy
Calcium Homeostasis in Cardiomyopathy
Leadership
Erik Blackwood, PhD
Dr. Blackwood is an Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology at the University of Utah and an Investigator at the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI), which he joined in Fall 2024. He earned his PhD under Dr. Christopher Glembotski at the San Diego State University Heart Institute after completing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Notre Dame, and previously conducted translational cardiovascular research at the University of Arizona. His laboratory is supported by an NIH R56 award.
Contact: Erik.Blackwood@utah.edu
