Overview

Our group’s interest in cardio-oncology and cardio-immunology came about after we defined new cardiovascular clinical syndromes associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) including ICI-associated myocarditis and other complications. We have utilized our expertise as myocyte and mouse biologist to generate several pre-clinical models of ICI-associated myocarditis. These models suggest a fundamental role for immune checkpoints (e.g., CTLA-4, PD-1, and LAG-3) in cardiovascular homeostasis. Using novel single-cell platforms and spatial transcriptomics, we are currently elucidating specific immune populations that cause ICI-myocarditis.