Mete Civelek, PhD, a researcher and associate professor in UVA's department of biomedical engineering and a resident faculty member at the department of genome sciences, works on revealing the genetic mechanisms underpinning the risks for developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
At Civelek's lab, he and his team use systems genetics to document how environmental factors, like diet, interact with genes and gene networks to affect health. By taking a holistic approach to studying various human populations, Civelek's team has connected many dots between genes and heart disease.
See Civelek's selected publications. Below, Civelek discusses his work and answers our Researcher Spotlight questions.
What are you working on right now?
Currently, my research is focused on uncovering the genetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression in vascular cells and adipose tissue. We are specifically focused on how genetics affects gene regulation in males and females differently. We think uncovering this will help us understand the difference in disease susceptibility between men and women.
We are also developing targeted drug delivery systems to adipocytes for obesity treatment using human genetics and nanoparticle technology. This multidisciplinary approach combines bioinformatics, genomics, and molecular biology to uncover novel therapeutic targets and improve disease prevention strategies.
What are the most intriguing potential clinical applications of your work?
One of the most promising clinical applications of our research is the development of personalized treatments for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. By understanding the genetic basis of these conditions, we can identify individuals at higher risk and tailor preventive measures and therapies to their specific genetic profiles.
Additionally, our work on targeted drug delivery systems for adipocytes has the potential to revolutionize obesity treatment, providing a more effective and less invasive alternative to current methods. These innovations could significantly improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden of these prevalent diseases on the healthcare system.
What made you choose UVA Health as the place to do your research?
UVA Health offers a unique combination of cutting-edge research facilities, a collaborative academic environment, a strong commitment to translational medicine, and physicians and scientists who enjoy collaborating. University of Virginia’s emphasis on interdisciplinary research aligns perfectly with my approach to tackling complex cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.
Additionally, the support and resources available at UVA Health, including access to diverse patient populations and state-of-the-art technology, enable us to conduct high-impact research. The collegial atmosphere and the opportunity to collaborate with leading experts in various fields further solidified my decision to join UVA Health and pursue my research here.
What do you wish more people knew about your area of research?
I wish more people understood the critical role that genetic research plays in preventing and treating cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Many of these conditions are influenced by complex interactions between our genes and environmental factors. By studying these interactions, we can uncover new insights into disease mechanisms and identify novel therapeutic targets.
And the potential for personalized medicine, where treatments are tailored to an individual’s genetic makeup, is immense. This approach promises to enhance the effectiveness of interventions and reduce adverse effects, ultimately leading to better health outcomes.
How did you become interested in your area of research?
I discovered the power of human genetics research during my postdoctoral fellowship. I became fascinated by the fact that we can study naturally occurring variations in our genes to pinpoint disease mechanisms. It is as if nature has already done the experiments for us, we just need to carefully observe them. Applying a genetics approach to coronary artery disease, which kills more Americans than any other disease, became a no brainer when I started my own research group.
