In addition to selecting postdoctoral scholars for fellowship awards, the American Heart Association (AHA) recognizes and supports trainees in doctoral research programs. Kayla Henry, a PhD candidate in the lab of Chad E. Grueter, PhD, is one of the AHA’s recent Predoctoral Fellowship recipients. With her two-year, $70,000 award, Henry will study the genetic regulation of cardiac hypertrophy—research that could lead to new therapeutic strategies for high blood pressure and ultimately reduce the risk of heart failure.

Experts understand pathological cardiac hypertrophy as the heart’s response to sustained stress, often caused by chronic disease such as high blood pressure. Henry’s preliminary studies implicate a protein called the Mediator kinase as a key regulator of epigenetic and transcriptional changes during cardiac hypertrophy. Her current project will define how the Mediator kinase drives these changes, with the goal of establishing this protein as a potential therapeutic target for heart disease caused by long-term high blood pressure.

High blood pressure affects more than one billion people globally and remains the leading cause of heart disease. Henry hopes that her findings will contribute to new treatment options, as existing medications for the condition are not effective for all patients.

While motivated by the translational applications her project could yield, she has long been driven by an overarching enthusiasm for the research process itself.

“I’m excited to answer all these unexplored questions,” Henry said. “What I love most about science is that you will never run out of things to discover. Every time you make a discovery, you are left asking ten more questions. I’m grateful that the AHA has given me the opportunity to explore my new questions, and I’m excited by where this project could go in the future.”

Henry thanks her advisor, Grueter, Anna Leinheiser, PhD, and Olha Koval, PhD, for their mentorship and support throughout her proposal process. She also expressed gratitude for those who work with her in Grueter’s lab—especially Connor Kirk.