University of Arizona | Cellular & Molecular Medicine
Human Stem Cells & Computational Biology
We use patient-derived iPSC-cardiomyocytes, single-cell genomics, and computational
approaches to understand cardiac disease mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets.
Inherited heart diseases affect millions worldwide, yet most have no cure. The Churko Lab exists to change that. We create living models of cardiac disease using patient-derived stem cells, allowing us to study each person's unique disease in a dish and test potential treatments before they ever reach clinical trials.
Traditional approaches to understanding heart disease rely on animal models that often fail to predict human outcomes. We take a different approach: by reprogramming a patient's own cells into beating heart cells, we can recreate their exact genetic condition in the laboratory. This precision medicine approach reveals disease mechanisms that were previously invisible and accelerates the path from discovery to therapy.
Our work integrates cutting-edge technologies because the complexity of cardiac disease demands it. Single-cell genomics lets us see how individual cells malfunction. Machine learning helps us find patterns across thousands of genes. Multi-omics integration connects the dots from DNA to proteins to function. Together, these tools give us unprecedented insight into why hearts fail and how we might prevent it.
Dr. Jared Churko is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Arizona. Following postdoctoral training at the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, he established an independent research program integrating human induced pluripotent stem cell technology with single-cell genomics and computational biology. His laboratory develops patient-derived iPSC models of inherited cardiac diseases, including arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and atrial fibrillation, to identify disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets. He serves on the editorial boards of JMCC Plus and Circulation: Heart Failure, and reviews for multiple NIH study sections.
Research
Research Focus
Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy
ACM is characterized by fibrofatty replacement of the myocardium, ventricular
arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. We model desmosomal mutations (PKP2, DSP,
DSG2) in iPSC-cardiomyocytes to understand how disrupted cell-cell junctions
lead to electrical instability and progressive myocardial degeneration.
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Bicuspid aortic valve affects 1-2% of the population and leads to progressive
valve dysfunction and aortopathy. Using patient-derived iPSCs, we generate
valvular interstitial cells and endothelial cells to model calcification,
fibrosis, and the molecular mechanisms driving valve degeneration.
Sarcomeric Drug Discovery
Mutations in sarcomeric proteins cause hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy.
We use high-throughput screening in iPSC-cardiomyocytes to identify small molecules
that modulate myosin function, calcium sensitivity, and contractile dynamics—
advancing precision therapeutics for inherited cardiomyopathies.
Cardiac Lineage Engineering
We are developing next-generation iPSC differentiation protocols that produce
more mature, functional cardiac cells—cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial,
and epicardial cells—that better recapitulate human disease phenotypes. Using
single-cell transcriptomics to benchmark against native tissue, we optimize these
protocols to be faster, more cost-effective, and scalable for disease modeling
and therapeutic screening.
Disease Biomarker Discovery
We analyze patient-derived iPSC-cardiomyocytes using integrated multi-omics:
whole-genome sequencing to identify variants, RNA-seq to measure transcriptional
changes, and mass spectrometry to quantify protein alterations. This systems
biology approach reveals disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets.
Technology
Integrated Platforms
From single-cell resolution to whole-genome analysis,
our platforms generate deep biological insights.
Transcriptomics
Bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing to profile gene expression, resolve
cellular heterogeneity, and identify disease signatures and developmental trajectories.
10x GenomicsBulk RNA-SeqDifferential Expression
Mass Spectrometry Proteomics
Quantitative proteomics to measure protein abundance, post-translational
modifications, and protein-protein interactions.
TMT LabelingPhosphoproteomicsInteractomics
Bioengineered Disease Models
We engineer 3D cardiac tissues incorporating cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts,
endothelial cells, and epicardial cells. These multicellular constructs better
recapitulate the structural and functional properties of human myocardium.
OrganoidsEHTCo-culture
Structural Biology
Protein structure prediction and molecular modeling to understand
ion channel dysfunction, sarcomeric mutations, and drug-target interactions.
AlphaFoldMolecular DynamicsDocking
Human iPSC Phenotyping
Functional validation of omics discoveries using iPSC-cardiomyocytes.
Electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and contractility assays for mechanistic
studies and cardiotoxicity screening.
ElectrophysiologyCalcium ImagingDrug Safety
AI & Machine Learning
Deep learning models for gene regulatory network inference, drug response
prediction, and integration of multi-modal biological data.
Deep LearningGRN InferenceMulti-omics Integration
Publications
Selected Publications
Our work appears in leading journals including Nature, Cell Stem Cell, Nature Methods, and Science Translational Medicine. Research from the lab has been cited over 6,000 times.
2025
Modelling arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy fatty-fibro pathology with PKP2-deficient epicardial cells derived from human iPSCs
Falana SL, Kazmouz SG, Iwanski JB, [...] Churko JM
Communications Biology
Senior AuthoriPSCDisease Modeling
2025
Minimal Component, Protein-Free, and Cost-effective Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Cardiomyocyte Differentiation
Iwanski JB, Lawal OS, Kwon WT, Vazquez I, Churko JM
Current Protocols
Senior AuthorMethodsiPSC-CM
2025
Atrial Fibrillation Related Titin Truncation Is Associated With Atrial Myopathy in Patient-Derived iPSC Disease Models
Huang K, [...] Churko JM, [...] Laksman Z
Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine
iPSCCardiomyopathy
2024
Leiomodin 2 neonatal dilated cardiomyopathy mutation results in altered actin gene signatures and cardiomyocyte dysfunction
Iwanski JB, Pappas CT, [...] Churko JM, Gregorio CC
NPJ Regenerative Medicine
CardiomyopathyDisease Modeling
2023
Surfaceome mapping of primary human heart cells with CellSurfer uncovers cardiomyocyte surface protein LSMEM2
Luecke LB, [...] Churko JM, [...] Gundry RL
Nature Cardiovascular Research
ProteomicsHeart Failure
2023
Epicardial placement of human placental membrane protects from heart injury in a swine model of myocardial infarction
Skaria RS, [...] Churko JM, [...] Konhilas JP
Physiological Reports
Cardiac RepairTranslational
2022
Generation of an iPSC line from a pontocerebellar hypoplasia 1B patient harboring a homozygous mutation in EXOSC3
Stansfield BN, Rangasamy S, Ramsey K, Khanna M, Churko JM
Stem Cell Research
Senior AuthoriPSCDisease Modeling
2022
Neonatal-lethal dilated cardiomyopathy due to a homozygous LMOD2 donor splice-site variant
Yuen M, [...] Churko JM, [...] Cooper ST
European Journal of Human Genetics
CardiomyopathyGenetics
2021
Antihypertensive drug treatment and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection in human PSC-derived cardiomyocytes and primary endothelial cells
Iwanski J, Kazmouz SG, [...] Churko JM
Stem Cell Reports
Senior AuthorCOVID-19iPSC-CM
2021
Tissue engineering techniques for iPSC derived cardiac engineered constructs
Salem T, Frankman Z, Churko JM
Tissue Engineering Part B: Reviews
Senior AuthorReviewTissue Engineering
2020
Single-cell protein expression of hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes using single-cell westerns
Jabart E, Molho J, Sin K, [...] Wu JC, Churko JM
Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (Cover Article)
Senior AuthorMethodsiPSC-CM
2020
MMP inhibitors attenuate doxorubicin cardiotoxicity by preventing intracellular and extracellular matrix remodeling
Chan BYH, [...] Churko JM, Granzier H, Schulz R
Cardiovascular Research
CardiotoxicityDrug Discovery
2019
Activation of PDGF pathway links LMNA mutation to dilated cardiomyopathy
Lee J, [...] Churko JM, [...] Wu JC
Nature
NatureCardiomyopathyiPSC
2018
Transcriptomic and epigenomic signatures of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes classify cardiomyocyte subtype populations
Churko JM, Garg P, Treutlein B, [...] Wu JC
Nature Communications
Senior AuthorTranscriptomicsiPSC-CM
2018
Essential roles of SETD7 as transcriptional activator and co-regulator of H3K36me3 in cardiac lineage commitment
Lee J, [...] Churko JM, [...] Wu JC
Cell Stem Cell
Cell Stem CellEpigeneticsDifferentiation
2017
Transcriptomic and epigenomic comparison of human induced pluripotent stem cells generated from various reprogramming methods
Churko JM, Lee J, Ameen M, [...] Snyder MP, Wu JC
Nature Biomedical Engineering
Senior AuthoriPSCReprogramming
2017
High-throughput screening of tyrosine kinase inhibitor cardiotoxicity with human induced pluripotent stem cells
Our iPSC expertise extends beyond the heart. Through collaborative projects,
we generate patient-derived neural cells to model neurodegenerative diseases,
applying the same precision medicine approach to understand disease mechanisms
and identify therapeutic targets.
Serving on the editorial boards of Circulation: Heart Failure and JMCC Plus. Ad hoc reviewer for leading journals including Cell, Cell Stem Cell, Circulation, Nature Communications, Stem Cell Reports, Molecular Therapy, and Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.
Grant Review & Research Oversight
NIH NHLBI Cardiovascular Differentiation and Development study section, AHA Career Development and Fellowship committees, and international funding agencies including NSERC (Canada), Medical Research Council (UK), Swiss National Science Foundation, and Knowledge Foundation (Sweden). Member of the VA Institutional Biosafety and Research & Development Committees in Tucson.
Training the Next Generation
Director of the UA American Heart Association Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program. Mentored 50+ trainees from high school through postdoctoral levels, with alumni advancing to medical school, PhD programs, and faculty positions. Served on thesis committees across Physiology, BME, Genetics, and Pharmacology programs, and as external PhD examiner for international institutions.
Support
Research Funded By
Contact
Get in Touch
Interested in collaboration, joining the lab, or learning more about our research?
Location
Life Science North, Room 407 1501 N Campbell Ave Tucson, AZ 85724
