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Gerardo Balderas is a PhD trainee in the lab of Dr. Scott Ryan, PhD, where researchers study neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. Balderas’ own work centers around the heart — specifically, a little-known and often overlooked condition called transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). 

Like Parkinson’s disease, ATTR-CM is caused by a buildup of misfolded proteins. In this case, the culprit is transthyretin. Under normal conditions, transthyretin circulates in the bloodstream, transporting thyroid hormone and vitamin A. When it misfolds, it can form amyloid deposits in the heart, impairing its ability to function and sometimes leading to heart failure. 

“Once the protein goes rogue, it sticks to the heart,” says Balderas. “I’m trying to understand the nature of the protein and why it loses its normal structure.”

While effective treatments can slow or halt the progression of ATTR-CM, early diagnosis remains a challenge. According to Balderas, symptoms may be overlooked by cardiologists because the condition was long considered rare. As a result, many patients are not identified until significant cardiac damage has already occurred.

“That’s why understanding the underlying mechanisms is so important,” says Balderas. “If we know what’s happening early at the molecular level, we can work toward identifying the disease much sooner.”

Interest in ATTR-CM has grown rapidly in recent years as researchers have begun to realize the condition is far more common than previously believed. Balderas is interested in the parallels between cardiac amyloidosis and Parkinson’s disease, both of which involve protein misfolding and accumulation that result in detrimental physiological outcomes in patients.

Balderas earned both his undergraduate and master’s degrees in biochemistry at the University of Lethbridge. His path into health sciences was shaped early on by his mother, a veterinarian who led prion disease screening in Tlaxcala, Mexico.

“Some of my core memories come from observing my mom’s work,” he says. “She was a strong proponent of the health sciences, and that really stayed with me.”

Balderas recently received a fellowship from the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, in partnership with Pfizer, to support his research. He is grateful. 

“It opens doors — to connections, collaborations and new research opportunities,” says Balderas.