Ieng Lam Lei, Ph.D.

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SUMMARY

Ieng Lam Lei, Ph.D., focuses on the biology of donor heart preservation and understanding cardiac aging. He combines genetic, epigenomic and metabolomic methodologies to investigate the mechanisms of cardiac stress and aging.

A key research direction is the study of cardiac metabolism, which plays a role in numerous cardiac diseases and conditions. Metabolic intermediates serve as substrates and cofactors for many epigenetic modifying enzymes. These processes link environmental changes — reflected in metabolite abundance — that in turn shape the epigenome landscape. Dr. Lei studies how drug-based and dietary interventions may help preserve donor hearts and slow cardiovascular aging.

Focus areas

• Biology of donor heart perseveration. The quality of donor heart preservation is essential for optimal transplant outcomes. When a donor heart is preserved for transplant, its metabolism and epigenetics undergo dynamic regulation. When these processes break down, primary graft dysfunction occurs. Dr. Lei aims to better understand the metabolism and epigenetics of donor hearts during preservation. This will lead to the development of new therapies that enhance the quality of donor heart preservation.
• Age-related heart failure. Age is a major risk factor for heart failure. Dr. Lei uses transgenic models to simulate age-related heart failure. He seeks to identify the metabolic and epigenetic mechanisms associated with cardiovascular aging, such as cardiomyocyte senescence and cardiac remodeling in heart failure.

Significance to patient care

Dr. Lei's research has the potential to broaden the donor heart pool and reduce primary graft dysfunction. His studies also aim to reduce the rate of cardiovascular aging.