Congratulations to Fahim Rejanur Tasin for receiving the American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship

Fahim Rejanur Tasin

Funding Agency/Mechanism: American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship  Title: Identifying Genetic Risk Factors for Vascular Calcification PI: Fahim Rejanur Tasin (PhD Student)/Nadja Makki (Mentor) Total/Directs: $70,676 Dates: 7/1/2026-6/30/2028 Summary: This proposal aims to define how non-coding genetic variants contribute to vascular calcification, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The overall hypothesis is that disease-associated variants alter the activity of gene regulatory elements, leading to changes in gene expression that promote calcification. This hypothesis will be addressed by first using a Massively Parallel Reporter Assay to identify functional variants in relevant human vascular cell types. Computational models integrating cell-specific genomic data will then be used to predict the genes regulated by these variants. Finally, CRISPR interference will be applied to validate key regulatory relationships. This work will identify genetic variants and target genes that contribute to vascular calcification and may support the development of predictive biomarkers and new therapeutic strategies.