# Identification and functional analysis of novel infantile cardiomyopathy genes

> **NIH NIH K23** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $184,512

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Dr. Teresa M. Lee, MD, MS is a Pediatric Cardiologist, Clinical Geneticist, and Assistant Professor of
Pediatrics on the investigator track with 75% protected research time at Columbia University Medical Center.
With her training and expertise, she has the highly sought-after set of skills needed to bridge the fields of
genetics and cardiology to fill an important niche in translational molecular genetic cardiology research. Her
current investigative efforts are directed towards identifying the genetic causes of infantile cardiomyopathy – a
research goal in line with the mission of the NHLBI to stimulate discoveries about the causes of disease that
can enable the translation of basic discoveries into clinical practice.
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle which often results in heart failure, cardiac transplantation, or
death. Infants have the worst prognosis, the highest genetic causality, and the least known about the
underlying cause of their disease. In particular, congenital forms of cardiomyopathy progress rapidly and are
often fatal. Many of these disorders are related to alterations in the RAS-mitogen-activated protein kinase
pathway. In preliminary studies, Dr. Lee has identified a novel MRAS variant believed to cause the protein to
be constitutively active – leading to the development of cardiac hypertrophy via the RAS signaling pathway.
She hypothesizes that infants with cardiomyopathy frequently have highly pathogenic de novo variants as the
cause of their cardiomyopathy, and that the RAS signaling pathway is commonly involved in disease
pathogenesis. The specific goals of this K23 proposal are to test this central hypothesis through novel gene
discovery studies and the development of cellular and mouse models to study the effects of MRAS.
Results from this study will impact knowledge about the genetic etiology of infantile cardiomyopathy, their
underlying pathophysiology, and common pathways which can serve as future targets for pharmacologic and
therapeutic intervention in the broader field of cardiomyopathy. Moreover, it serves to provide Dr. Lee with the
necessary training to become an independent physician-scientist with a career focused on collaborative,
patient-oriented research centered on understanding the genetic causes of cardiomyopathy in infants and
children. Superb mentorship, access to abundant resources, unrivaled access to the largest and most diverse
patient population, and the rich intellectual environment across Departments and Schools at Columbia
University will help this candidate be well-positioned to establish an independent, life-long career focused on
pediatric cardiomyopathy research that will address the inadequacies of our current treatment strategies and
outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9938617
- **Project number:** 5K23HL138231-04
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Teresa M Lee
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $184,512
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-17 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9938617

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9938617, Identification and functional analysis of novel infantile cardiomyopathy genes (5K23HL138231-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9938617. Licensed CC0.

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