# The Role of Glycosyl Ceramides in Heart Failure and Recovery

> **NIH NIH K08** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2024 · $179,280

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Candidate: Eleni Tseliou, MD, PhD is cardiology fellow at the University of Utah (UU) in Salt Lake City as part
of the Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) and currently a T32 research fellow at Dr. Drakos laboratory
at the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI). Dr. Tseliou’s research
project is focused on the impact of fatty acid (FA) metabolism on cardiac remodeling and myocardial recovery.
Dr. Tseliou’s long-term goal is to independently direct an extramurally funded laboratory with research focused
on metabolic mechanisms that affect cardiac heart failure (HF) and recovery. Career Development: This award
will support Dr. Tseliou’s career development by building on her existing training in cardiovascular (CV) health
and disease. Dr. Tseliou will receive extensive training in the planning and execution of studies investigating
myocardial FA metabolism in humans, animal models and in vitro. The career development plan outlines a
coordinated effort to train the candidate in areas including mass-spectrometry based lipidomic and metabolomic
assessment of serum and tissue in HF; development and phenotyping of animal transgenic models of HF. Hands-
on learning and mentoring opportunities will be complimented by broader training in current topics by regular
attendance of didactic courses (research training, research interactions, career guidance, publications, research
ethics and grant writing) molecular cardiology seminars and conferences. Environment: The University of Utah
is an ideal environment for Dr. Tseliou’s career development. The CVRTI is a freestanding research institute
located at the UU Health Sciences Center with a long-standing commitment to the promotion and advancement
of early-career investigators in the field of CV biology. CVRTI faculty is well-funded and have excellent track
records in mentoring junior physician-scientists to become independent investigators. This environment has a
long and very rich history of excellence in basic and translational CV research and will provide Dr. Tseliou with
the opportunity of collaboration across different specialties and the resources needed to complete the proposed
studies. Moreover, the UU and Dr. Drakos integrated basic science and clinical research team will provide Dr.
Tseliou with the unique opportunity to phenotype left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) patients with and without
myocardial recovery, who are the source of precious serial human myocardial tissue and serum before and after
the therapeutic intervention. Research: The central hypothesis of this project is that reduced cardiac specific
expression of UGCG (UDP-glucose ceramide glucosyltransferase, a gene that catalyzes the glycosylation of
ceramide) leads to the deregulation of FA metabolism and predisposes to HF. We seek to understand the
mechanisms responsible for these phenomena. While several mechanisms of FA metabolism have been
described, we contend t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10896979
- **Project number:** 5K08HL168315-02
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Eleni Tseliou
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $179,280
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-01 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10896979

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10896979, The Role of Glycosyl Ceramides in Heart Failure and Recovery (5K08HL168315-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10896979. Licensed CC0.

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