Studying how acquired mutations contribute to cardiovascular disease.
About the Lab
Working at the intersection of immunology, genomics, and cardiovascular medicine — asking how acquired mutations in blood stem cells shape the fate of cardiovascular disease.
The Heimlich Lab studies clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) as a driver of cardiovascular disease. We investigate how somatic mutations in blood stem cells — particularly in TET2 and DNMT3A — promote vascular inflammation and accelerate atherosclerosis, with an eye toward clinical translation.
We run the CATCH study, a prospective longitudinal cohort and biorepository based at VUMC that identifies CHIP patients. Dr. Heimlich directs the Southeast's only dedicated cardiovascular CHIP clinic. Patients seen in clinic directly inform our research questions, and our findings shape how we care for them.
We also work in cardio-oncology, using large-scale biobanks and national clinical databases to study CHIP in cancer patients and survivors — a population with particularly high cardiovascular risk.
MD/PhD (Physiology, Medical College of Georgia). Postdoctoral fellow in the Bick Laboratory at VUMC. Medicine, Cardiology and Cardio-Oncology training at VUMC. Assistant Professor at VUMC, Staff Cardiologist, Nashville VA Hospital.
Research Programs
TET2 loss-of-function is the most common CHIP variant and our primary focus — examining how it reprograms myeloid cell behavior to promote atherosclerosis through epigenetic dysregulation and altered gene expression, using single-cell multi-omics.
We identified macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) as a central driver of TET2 CHIP-mediated atherosclerosis and hold a US patent on MIF inhibition as a therapeutic strategy. Ongoing work targets the monocyte-endothelial interface as a node of CHIP-driven vascular disease.
Through the CHIVE study, we track clonal dynamics longitudinally using methylation sequencing — a more precise measure of clonal burden than variant allele frequency — linking expansion trajectories to cardiovascular outcomes over time.
Cancer patients carry among the highest CHIP burdens of any population. Using national biobanks and EHR data, we study how CHIP amplifies cardiovascular risk after cancer therapy — including published work in JAMA Oncology (2026) on outcomes after solid tumor treatment.
Cardiovascular CHIP Clinic
The Southeast's only clinic dedicated to the cardiovascular care of patients with clonal hematopoiesis.
The Team
A multidisciplinary team united by curiosity and a commitment to translational discovery.
Dr. Heimlich completed his MD/PhD in Physiology at the Medical College of Georgia, followed by internal medicine residency, cardiology and cardio-oncology fellowship, and postdoctoral training in the Bick Laboratory at VUMC. He holds a VA Career Development Award, an Evans Foundation Award, as well as internal VUMC funding and industry support.
Backgrounds in genomics, computational biology, cardiovascular biology, or hematology. Strong interest in translational science.
Now RecruitingAccepting rotation students from Vanderbilt graduate programs. Reach out to discuss.
Rotations WelcomeJoin the Heimlich Lab
We are recruiting postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and research staff with backgrounds in genomics, cardiovascular biology, computational biology, or clinical research. Active NIH and VA funding, strong mentorship, and a direct clinical connection through the CATCH study and VUMC cardiovascular CHIP clinic. Reach out to learn more.
Location & Contact
Office
560A Robinson Research Building