Welcome to the Chirinos Lab!
We're hiring!
We are hiring postdoctoral fellows interested in omics & AI and University of Pennsylvania work study students!
Please email Dr. Chirinos (Julio.Chirinos@pennmedicine.upenn.edu) today with your resume!
Foundation of the Chirinos Lab
Our vision is to pursue a better understanding of mechanisms of human cardiovascular disease based on detailed non-invasive assessments of cardiac and arterial structure and function, in the context of randomized mechanistic clinical trials, genomic studies for causal inference, and other omics approaches. We have also led late phase randomized trials, including multi-center international RCTs. We have moved forward with this vision established as our foundation. Our work has expanded across diverse research areas and collaborations.
Our Research Areas
Our team conducts Phase II clinical trials focused on evaluating potential pharmacotherapies for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF). These trials incorporate deep phenotyping measures alongside clinically relevant endpoints. Recent studies include the KNO3CK OUT HFpEF trial, which investigated the effects of inorganic nitrate supplementation, and the DOT3 trial (in collaboration with Drs. Anne and Thomas Cappola), assessing T3 hormone replacement in HFpEF patients.
We are actively involved in consortia dedicated to uncovering the mechanisms of heart failure. In collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb, we lead the global Penn-BMS Heart Failure Consortium, focusing on large-scale proteomics and genomics to study heart failure and related risk factors. Our research includes large-scale proteomics studies using SomaScan plasma protein assessments to explore the molecular mechanisms behind cardiac dysfunction and complex cardiovascular conditions like heart failure and arterial stiffening.
Additionally, we are one of six clinical research centers in the NIH-funded HeartShare consortium, which aims to develop a comprehensive cohort study to better understand the phenotypic diversity and underlying disease mechanisms in HFpEF.
Our Arterial Hemodynamics and Cardiac Imaging Quantification Core Laboratory provides advanced quantitative analysis of cardiac and arterial function for human research, particularly for mechanistic early phase clinical trials in hypertension and heart failure.
Navigate to our Core Lab page to learn more!
In collaboration with Dr. Jordana Cohen, we have led international trials on managing acute COVID-19, including the FERMIN and REPLACE COVID trials. Additionally, we are conducting the NIH-funded CAPRICORN study, which aims to identify organ-specific phenotypic abnormalities in post-COVID-19 patients, with a special focus on cardiovascular abnormalities and related clinical events.
Our lab is dedicated to exploring the genetic basis of aortic aging and heart failure, including its subtypes, by utilizing data from large-scale studies such as the UK Biobank and Penn Medicine Biobank. These extensive genetic and clinical datasets enable us to investigate the links between genetic variation, aging, and aortic health. We are currently researching large artery stiffness and its hemodynamic effects to identify new genetic and biological markers associated with aortic stiffening and related conditions, such as heart failure and target organ damage.
Our team utilizes advanced techniques, such as Mendelian randomization (MR) with genomics data, to examine causal links between specific exposures and outcomes related to heart failure and arterial function. By leveraging site-specific genetic variations as instrumental variables, we can pinpoint actionable factors in disease pathways and address the limitations of traditional epidemiology, such as reverse causation and confounding. By integrating proteomics with genomics data, we gain deeper insights into protein interactions and their causal effects on arterial stiffness, organ damage, and heart failure. Our goal is to identify new biomarkers for aortic aging and heart failure, understand their mechanisms, and discover potential therapeutic targets, ultimately leading to new treatment strategies.
AI is revolutionizing medical imaging by automating tasks that were once labor-intensive, such as image curation, diagnostic classification, and registration, while also opening new research opportunities like quantifying novel "image-derived phenotypes" (IDPs), opportunistic screening, and personalized risk assessment. Our team is developing AI-driven protocols to automate the evaluation of cardiovascular phenotypes, with current applications in the Penn Medicine Biobank and the UK Biobank.