Areli Lorenzana-Carrillo, Class of '25

Areli Lorenzana-Carrillo: Uncovering How Heart Cells Lose Their Way in Dilated Cardiomyopathy

For 2025 graduate student Areli Lorenzana-Carrillo, understanding heart failure begins at the smallest level: inside individual heart cells. Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, Areli’s research focuses on dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart gradually weakens and loses its ability to pump blood effectively.

Areli’s work investigates how stress disrupts the delicate balance within cardiomyocytes, the cells responsible for each heartbeat. She discovered that a regulatory protein called TRIM35 plays a central role in this process. Under healthy conditions, heart cells function like finely tuned factories, with different systems working together to maintain strength and efficiency. Under stress, however, TRIM35 begins sending faulty signals, shutting down protective pathways while activating mechanisms that break the cell down. As more cells respond to these misguided instructions over time, the heart’s overall function declines, ultimately leading to failure.

“One of the most exciting realizations from this work,” Areli says, “is that heart failure isn’t driven by a single pathway, but by a beautifully complex network of mechanisms.” That complexity, she explains, is what makes cardiovascular research both challenging and deeply rewarding. Just as important as scientific curiosity was the supportive research environment around her, one that encouraged bold ideas, celebrated small victories, and turned difficult experiments into moments of discovery.

Areli has shared her findings widely, including oral presentations at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago and virtual presentations during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as multiple institutional Research Days throughout her PhD. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Department of Medicine Ballermann Translational Research Fellowship, Dean’s Doctoral Award, Andrew Stewart Memorial Graduate Prize, and the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship. Her research has also been published in leading journals, with recent work appearing in Science Translational Medicine and Circulation Research.

Areli’s passion for cardiovascular research was sparked by early training that explored how changes within a single cell can influence an entire organ. “Seeing how a tiny shift at the cellular level could affect the whole heart immediately captured my attention,” she says. “Understanding those connections holds real promise for developing better treatments.”

When offering advice to new graduate students, Areli emphasizes curiosity, flexibility, and community. “The project you start with is rarely the one you finish with,” she says. “Ask questions, stay open to change, and remember that setbacks are part of doing real science. Protect your enthusiasm; it will take you farther than any perfect experiment.”

Outside the lab, Areli draws inspiration from the people who keep her grounded: her partner, family, friends, and even her dog. Their support and presence remind her of what matters most and fuel her motivation to continue growing, as both a scientist and a person.