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Dr Alicia D’Souza, Associate Professor in Cardiac Electrophysiology at the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI), has been awarded a prestigious British Heart Foundation (BHF) Discovery Research Senior Fellowship.

The fellowship will supporting 's pioneering work to understand – and ultimately repair – the heart’s electrical conduction system. This five‑year award supports leaders in cardiovascular research in their progression towards leading larger scale research programmes. 

Understanding the system behind every heartbeat 

Over a lifetime, the human heart beats around two billion times. This remarkable flexibility is orchestrated by the cardiac conduction system, a specialised electrical network that initiates and synchronises every heartbeat.  

Dr D'Souza’s fellowship focuses on one of its least-studied components: the atrioventricular (AV) node, a small but critical structure that can malfunction in heart failure. When it does, the only current treatment is an implanted electronic device – effective but invasive, and not suitable for all patients. 

Despite its importance, the mechanisms behind AV node dysfunction in heart failure have never been studied directly, limiting progress in developing biological treatments that address the root causes rather than simply managing symptoms. 

“We can keep parts of the human conduction system alive in the lab. It’s astonishing – and it increases the translational value of everything we do.” 

Why 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ is one of the few places this research is possible 

At 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ, Dr D’Souza’s team has access to a resource rarely available in cardiovascular research: living donor human heart tissue. This allows the group to study the AV node in ways not previously possible. 

“We can keep parts of the human conduction system alive in the lab,” she said. “It’s astonishing – and it increases the translational value of everything we do.” 

Her laboratory is among only a small number worldwide specialising in the study of the heart’s electrical conduction system. This capability has already revealed new insights into inflammation‑driven changes in AV node function 

911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ’s integrated clinical environment strengthens this work even further. 

“911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ is such a great place for this fellowship because of the dovetailing of the clinical research, led by Dr Daniel Keene, which looks at devices to improve the functioning of the system. My research addresses why the system goes wrong, and I can use patient samples and clinical data to refine our hypotheses and mechanistic approaches. It’s a very natural collaboration.” 

“The long‑term vision is to reduce the number of invasive procedures patients need – and one day, maybe even repair the system without a device at all."

What the fellowship will unlock 

Dr D’Souza’s team has gathered evidence that macrophages, immune cells that accumulate in the heart during heart failure, release a protein called galectin-3 that disrupts electrical signalling. 

Through the fellowship, her group will test next‑generation galectin‑3 inhibitors, developed by  industry partner Galtyx, using a combination of human heart tissue and refined animal models in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen. 

“We have collected evidence showing that when you have more galectin‑3, it causes all these electrical changes and structural changes. We think it's a critical signalling hub that regulates the harmful effects of heart failure.” 

“The long‑term vision is to reduce the number of invasive procedures patients need – and one day, maybe even repair the system without a device at all.” she said. 

The award will also enable the laboratory to establish optical mapping, a state-of-the-art imaging platform that will make it possible to visualise electrical activity in living human heart tissue at high resolution. This will significantly expand the team’s ability to study  conduction system disease and evaluate new therapies.

The fellowship also provides stability to retain highly skilled staff and support the development of early‑career researchers – a top priority for Dr D’Souza. 

“Having consistency over five years allows us to keep exceptional researchers in the team and mentor them towards their own independent careers,” she said. “That continuity is essential for a highly technical and multidisciplinary project like this.”

Although the fellowship will support work with clear translational potential, Dr D’Souza says what continues to drive her is both the opportunity to explore fundamental questions in human heart tissue and the collaborative spirit of the team around her. 

“The inner workings of these tissues are remarkably intricate, and every day they reveal how much there is still to learn. I find that hugely rewarding.

I also love working with my team. They are incredibly talented and motivated, and there is a real shared sense of purpose in what we are trying to achieve.”