Sex Differences in Cardiometabolism in Health and Disease

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, yet it affects women and men differently - in how frequently it occurs, how effectively treatments work, and how quickly patients recover. In Lukas Chmatal lab, we aim to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying these sex differences. Specifically, we want to understand what provides cardioprotection in women and why men are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Our research focuses on biological sex - the unique combination of sex chromosomes and sex hormones - and how it shapes heart metabolism in both health and disease.

To address this complex question, we study the body at multiple biological scales, from the whole organism to heart tissue, cardiomyocytes, and cardiomyocyte-specific mitochondria. We combine cutting-edge omics technologies with cellular and molecular approaches and computational analyses, using both genetically engineered mouse models and human samples.