Dr. Saba Munawar, PhD, MS
Dr. Saba Munawar, American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellow in the Eckhardt Lab, has been awarded the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) PERC Postdoctoral Grant for her project, “Decoding KCNJ2 Variants: Mechanistic and Therapeutic Profiling of Kir2.1 Channel Dysfunction.” Her research integrates computational modeling, live-cell BRET imaging, and electrophysiological approaches to uncover how disease-linked mutations in the Kir2.1 (KCNJ2) potassium channel contribute to inherited arrhythmias, advancing precision therapies and improving heart health in Wisconsin and beyond. This achievement also reflects the outstanding mentorship of Dr. L. Lee Eckhardt, Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the T32 Cardiovascular Research Training Program, whose guidance continues to foster innovation and scientific excellence within CVRC. Dr. Munawar also serves as an adjacent trainee within the T32 program.