Welcome to the Chelko Lab!
Inflamed Hearts: A Hot Topic!
Our laboratory elucidates aberrant cell signaling mechanisms that give rise to Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM), a rare, inherited heart disease and a leading cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Often called “sudden cardiac death in young athletes” patients living with ACM suffer from ventricular dysfunction, malignant ventricular arrhythmias, and myocardial inflammation, fibrosis, and remodeling. Interestingly, patients with ACM are plagued by “incomplete penetrance with variable expressivity,” as such - environmental factors (e.g., exercise, diet, and stress) are known to contribute to disease onset and progression. Our lab has a keen interest in signaling mechanisms that contribute to immune-mediated myocardial injury in ACM. Our lab is part of a collaborative network of researchers and physician scientists performing translational studies with murine and cellular models of heart disease; internally, externally, and abroad. My laboratory has been involved in randomized controlled clinical trials and translational studies that have advanced to clinical trials: (i) Evolocumab, an anti-PCSK9 antibody (now under the brand name Repatha®); (ii) Tideglusib, a GSK3β inhibitor, currently in Phase II (NCT06174220); and (iii) Atibuclimab, an anti-CD14 antibody, currently in Phase II (NCT06275893).
Commitment to a Safe, Productive, and Diverse Training Environment.
My lab is committed to a safe, diverse, and productive research environment. I am proud to represent the 9% of STEMmers who belong to the People with Disabilities (PWDs) STEM workforce. I study a rare, inherited heart disease and live with a rare disease as well (IDH1 mutant glioma), which drives my advocacy for PWDs and patients living with rare diseases. My laboratory is run by a group of wonderfully talented and diverse pool of scientists – who represent the future of STEM academia. I believe in the Influence of Representation and the Transformative Power of Diversity, fundamental qualities that impact my advocacy and research. My laboratory is united in one shared goal: translating laboratory outcomes to the care and health of individuals living with heart disease.
Recent News from the Chelko Lab
May 2025:
Congrats to our former postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Ann Centner, on her recent publication in Nicotine & Tobacco Research; detailing the role of sex on the effects of smoking and nicotine on cardiac function and atherosclerosis. (Article found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39569583/) You are missed, Dr. Centner!
Congrats to Waleed Farra (my very second DIS student!!!) who will be a first-year medical student at Burrel College of Osteopathic Medicine. I had the distinct honor of working with this exceptionally rare student and gifted scientist. Waleed was a DIS student in my laboratory for three rewarding years (2021-2023) and was then employed as a post-baccalaureate research assistant in my lab (2023-2025) following his graduation – for which my lab could not have been more grateful for his dedication to our research projects. Waleed was a dynamo researcher for our lab, where he served as a co-author on 3 manuscripts: (1) PMID: 38564300; (2) PMID: 38999835; and (3) PMID: 38949031. With an additional co-authorship manuscript in its second revision at Science Translational Medicine. Waleed, you will be sorely missed! The Chelko Lab wishes you all the best and can’t wait to call you Dr. Farra soon!
April 2025
Congrats to Emily Shiel, who was awarded the 2025 Heart Rhythm Society Travel Scholarship Award to attend the HRS annual conference in San Diego. Looking forward to it!
March 2025:
The Chelko Lab would like to welcome our newest graduate student, Gallage Ariyarante! Gallage earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry & Biochemistry from Montana State University in 2022 and then went on to a post-baccalaureate research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) from 2023-2024. Welcome Gallage!
February 2025:
Congrats to all the speakers at the Institute of Pediatric Rare Diseases Research Day. However, the Chelko Lab would like to give a shout-out to Emily Shiel, the only student speaker!
January 2025:
Emily Shiel was awarded the highly competitive and prestigious American Heart Association (AHA) Predoctoral Fellowship Award (2025 – 2027) to continue her investigation into the mechanisms of myocardial inflammation. Titled “Targeting Neutrophil-Mediated Pathways: A New Frontier in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy” (AHA 25PRE1372729). Congrats Emily on this amazing accomplishment!
Noteworthy Presentations at Scientific Conferences in 2025:
Emily Shiel presented her findings supported by an FSU IPRD award at the annual Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) conference in San Diego, CA. She was also awarded the 2025 HRS Travel Award!
Dr. Chelko also gave a talk at HRS in San Diego on the potential therapeutic efficacy of anti-CD14 antibody in patients with Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy through a sponsored research agreement from Implicit Biosciences (ClinicalTrials ID: NCT06275893).
Dr. Landim-Vieira presented a wonderful talk on the role of desmoglein-2 in the age-and chamber-specific regulation of postnatal cardiac function. Presented at the Biophysical Society in Los Angeles, CA; outcomes from this work have been submitted and are in review at Nature Cardiovascular Research.
November 2024:
Dr. Chelko published a great Editorial on the prognostic value of circulating biomarkers of fibrotic remodeling in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy in Biomedicines. Read it here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39595186/
August 2024: 
Emily Shiel was the recipient of the prestigious Randolph Rill Award in Biomedical Sciences. This annual achievement is awarded to a junior and a senior graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding scholarship. Congrats, Emily!
June-July 2024:
Congrats to Alaric Vaccaro and Gabby Wiltshire for their invaluable contributions during their time in The Chelko Lab through the FSU Young Scholars Program. Their wonderful work helped with the validation of our new 8-lead ECG platform in animal models of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.
June 2024:
Dr. Ann Centner unravels another environmental stimulus that contributes to disease onset and progression in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy through her publication recently dropped in the journal Nutrients. Read this interesting paper here: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16132087
Shout out to DIS Students (May 2024):
Madelynn Dautel was (DIS: 2021 -2023) accepted into the VCOM-Bluefield Masters of Anesthesiologist Assistant program!
Congrats to Hima Humeda (DIS: 2023 – 2024) who will be attending the University of Pittsburgh Summer Undergraduate Research Program!
Shout out to Camden Tyner (DIS: 2023–24) who was accepted into the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program at the Mayo Clinic!
Congrats to Emily Maglin (longtime DIS & UROP Student; 2021–24), who was recently profiled as an FSU 2024 Student Star! (https://news.fsu.edu/student-stars/2024/05/29/emily-maglin/)
May 2024:
Just in! The Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI) wrote an Editorial on our recent article published in JCI. The Editorial was written by Drs. Thassio Mesquita and Eugenio Cingolani. Dr. Cingolani (Corresponding Author) is a Professor and the Director of Cardiogenetics in the Department of Cardiology at Cedars Sinai, working on the development of novel therapies for cardiac rhythm disorders. Thank you, Dr. Cingolani for your wonderful Editorial. Article can be found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38747296/
The Chelko Lab was awarded an FSU Institute of Pediatric Rare Diseases (IPRD) grant on our proposal titled, “Myeloperoxidase (MPO) Inhibition as a Therapeutic Target in the Treatment of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.” Thank you to the IPRD for this support. Funding announcement found here: https://med.fsu.edu/iprd/arrhythmogenic-cardiomyopathy
April 2024:
Isabella Coscarella defended her thesis! Congratulations, Dr. Coscarella! Isabella is headed off to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to be an NIH T32 Postdoctoral Fellow under the mentorship of Drs. Chulan Kwon and David Kass (my former postdoc mentors!). The Chelko lab wishes you the best on your next academic adventure, Isabella! 
Dr. Chelko's manuscript on the role of NFĸB-mediated activation in cardiomyocytes as a driver of infiltrating CCR2+ macrophages was just published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Check it out here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38564300/.
February 2024:
The Chelko lab recently published an invited review article in the International Journal of Cardiology on mechanisms contributing to Inflammatory Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy, written by co-first Authors Morgan Engel and Emily Shiel. Congrats Morgan and Emily! Check it out here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37979796/
January 2024:
Dr. Chelko's corresponding author manuscript is forthcoming in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. In this manuscript, we identify a complex mechanism of immune-mediated injury and regulatory crosstalk between cardiac myocytes, resident and infiltrating inflammatory cells, and fibroblasts in the pathogenesis of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.
Noteworthy Presentations at Scientific Conferences in 2024:
Dr. Ann Centner was selected as a NUTRITION Postdoctoral Research Award Finalist (placed 6 out of 80!!!) at the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) at their annual flagship meeting in Chicago.
Emily Shiel gave a featured oral presentation (as a 1st time attendee!!!) at the annual Heart Rhythm Society conference in Boston.
Dr. Stephen Chelko gave a featured talk at the Cardiac Muscle Society in Florence, Italy on the role of Interleukin-1β in mediating myocardial inflammation in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.
November 2023:
Dr. Chelko was selected as the nominee for the 2023 Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in Life Sciences.
Shout out to DIS Students (May 2023):
- Hunter McLaughlin (DIS: 2023) will be attending the University of South Florida in the Fall to obtain her master’s in Medical Science!
- Colin Macapagal (DIS: 2022-2023) is now a first-year medical student at Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine!
- Hannah Ricks (DIS: 2022-2023) will be attending the University of West Florida to obtain her master’s in Healthcare Administration!
- Congrats to Nina Hoang & Tuong Nguyen (DIS: 2021–23), who will be first year medical students at St. George's University this Fall!
- Mona “Avaa” Pishgar (DIS: 2021–23) was accepted in the highly prestigious and extremely competitive Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Postbaccalaureate Fellowship program at the NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
May 2023:
Congrats to Morgan Engel (my very first DIS student!!!) who will be a first-year medical student at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. I had the distinct honor of having the phenomenally talented Morgan Engel as a DIS student in my laboratory for nearly three years (2020-2022) and I was additionally thrilled to have her continue as a postbaccalaureate research assistant in my lab (2022-2023). She was a scientific powerhouse for our lab who will be sorely missed! Morgan’s time in our lab resulted in 5 co-authorship manuscripts (one as co-first author!): (1) PMID: 38564300; (2) PMID: 38949031; (3) PMID: 37979796 (co-first author); (4) PMID: 36430389; and (5) PMID: 37468450 (randomized clinical trial). With an additional co-authorship manuscript in its second revision at Science Translational Medicine. Morgan, the Chelko Lab wishes you all the best and I can’t wait to call you Dr. Engel soon!
Dr. Chelko was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC). “One of the most distinguished designations the ACC confers. It is the ultimate recognition of professional achievement, based on outstanding credentials, achievements and community contributions to cardiovascular medicine.” –American College of Cardiology.
January 2023:
The Chelko Lab would like to welcome our two newest postdoctoral fellows, Drs. Maicon Landim-Vieira and Ann Centner. Dr. Landim-Vieira received his PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the Florida State University College of Medicine. Dr. Centner received her PhD in Nutrition Sciences at the Florida State University. Welcome Maicon and Ann!
November 2022:
Dr. Chelko discusses his journey from diagnosis, treatment, and perseverance living with brain cancer in the Patient Experience Journal. Can be found here: https://pxjournal.org/journal/vol9/iss3/3/
September 2022:
Postdoc Fellow, Dr. Maicon Landim-Vieira's paper on the safety and efficacy of angiotensin receptor blockers in subjects with Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy was just published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. (Read it here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36430389/) Even more impressive, outcomes from this study were used at the 2023 Zurich International Symposium on Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM) in the guidance of clinical management for patients with ACM! Way to go Maicon! Making “from bench to bedside” a reality!
August 2022:
Congrats to Dr. Landim-Vieira who won the FSU COM Biomedical Sciences Best Image of the Year award, titled “Inside the Lumen Glass.” This image was also published in the European Heart Journal Cardiovasc Pharmacotherapy (found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37468450/) on the use of PSCK9 inhibitors for patients undergoing CABG surgery following an acute coronary syndrome. Of note, this image and publication was a part of a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial in collaboration with Amgen pharmaceuticals. 
Colleen Leu (2nd year medical & SRF student) won the Young Investigator Award at the 2022 Florida Chapter of the American College of Cardiology on her oral presentation “Targeting Myocardial Inflammation in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.” And gave a phenomenal presentation at the FSU COM Medical Grand Rounds.
Dr. Chelko was awarded the Outstanding Junior Faculty Researcher, Florida State University College of Medicine
May 2022:
Dr. Chelko was inducted as a Fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society (FHRS).“A FHRS designation recognizes Society members who have advanced training, certification, and demonstrated commitment to the field of electrophysiology. Serving as a marker of advanced knowledge and skills in heart rhythm disorders.” –The Heart Rhythm Society.
The Chelko lab welcomes first-year medical student, Claudia Cruz, who will be joining our lab for a Summer Research Fellowship (SRF)! And Congrats to Gabriella Sodomin (DIS: 2022) who will be working towards her Master of Health Sciences at FSU this Fall!
April 2022:
The Chelko Lab would like to give a warm welcome to our Visiting Scholar, Sophie Hamstra, from Brock University in Toronto, Canada. Sophie, a third year PhD student, joined The Chelko Lab for a 4-month research rotation. Hamstra was the recipient of three prestigious awards that funded her fellowship in my lab. (i) The Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement Award; (ii) the 2021 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Doctoral Award; and (iii) the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship Award. Congrats to Sophie for her work in my lab that was recently published in Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. Check it out: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36057371/
March 2022:
Welcome to Emily Shiel, who is joining The Chelko Lab as a graduate student! Emily received her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Florida State University and was a student of the prestigious FSU Honors Program. Welcome Emily! We are excited to have you and can’t wait to see all the wonderful things you will accomplish!
December 2021:
The Chelko lab was awarded a sponsored research award from Pfizer, Inc. (SRA: A2021-0439). Titled, “Establishing the therapeutic potential of targeting cardiomyocyte innate immune signaling in Desmosome Associated Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.” We are excited to keep making progress in the rapidly developing area of immune-mediated mechanisms of inflammatory heart diseases.
December 2021:
Congrats to Spencer Kortum! Spencer’s abstract was accepted at the 2021 American Medical Association (AMA) Research Challenge Competition, entitled, "The Deleterious Impact of Exercise Intensity vs Exercise Duration on Cardiac Function in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy".
Summer 2021:
The Chelko Lab has expanded! We’d like to welcome first-year medical students, Zaim Khan, Nicole Boland, Spencer Kortum, and Colleen Leu who will be joining the Chelko Lab for a Summer Research Fellowship (SRF)!
April 2021:
Just in! Nature: Cell Death and Disease wrote an Editorial on the recent Science Translational Medicine paper our lab published. The Editorial was written by Mahmoud Abdellatif and Guido Kroemer. Dr. Kroemer (Corresponding Author) is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and an internationally recognized specialist on programmed cell death. Editorial found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33837175/
January 2021:
Just published in Science Translational Medicine, the Chelko lab identifies a mechanism behind exercise-induced heart damage in subjects with Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy. Article found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33597260/
Dr. Chelko’s first book chapter published in Current Concepts in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy! (Chapter 4: Immune Signaling in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy)
Fall and Spring (2020 – 2021):
The Chelko Lab would like to officially welcome our first Directed Independent Studies (DIS) students, Morgan Engel (DIS: 2020-2023) and Waleed Farra (DIS: 2021-2024). You’ll be hearing a lot about these two individuals and their achievements over the next few years!
July 2020:
The Chelko lab officially opens at FSU College of Medicine.