Grant: Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) program

Heart transplantation is often the only life-saving option for patients with end-stage heart failure. While modern medicine has improved survival, transplant rejection remains a major cause of complications, affecting up to 30% of patients within the first year. Rejection occurs when the recipient's immune system attacks the transplanted heart, and it can progress silently, causing serious damage before symptoms appear. Current monitoring relies on heart biopsies, which are invasive, uncomfortable, and sometimes fail to detect early signs of rejection. Our research aims to develop a safer, earlier, and more accurate method to detect rejection using blood-based signals. Specifically, we will study extracellular vesicles (EVs)-tiny particles released by cells into the bloodstream that carry proteins and genetic material reflecting the health of the heart and immune activity. By analyzing these "messengers," we hope to uncover molecular patterns that reveal early immune responses against the transplanted heart. We will integrate this information with patient medical records and digitized biopsy images to build a predictive model that can detect rejection before it causes irreversible damage. This approach has the potential to reduce the need for repeated biopsies, enable timely medical interventions, and improve long-term outcomes for transplant patients. Beyond individual care, this project will provide new insights into how the immune system interacts with transplanted organs, paving the way for personalized, precision monitoring and safer management of heart transplant recipients.