Cheavar A Blair, PhD
Connect
859-218-2427cabl223@uky.edu
Positions
- Assistant Professor
College Unit(s)
Other Affiliation(s)
- CVRC - Core Faculty
Biography and Education
Biography
Dr. Blair earned his PhD from the University of Kentucky, where his research investigated the biophysical properties of human myocardial tissue. He subsequently completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, where his work focused on quantifying the mechanical responses of stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes to chemotherapeutic agents and disease-associated genetic mutations. His current research program seeks to elucidate how sarcomeric dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of heart failure.
Education
08/2004 – 08/2010 B.S. in Biology
Southern Illinois University Carbondale – Carbondale, IL 62901
08/2010 – 08/2016 M.S. in Plant Physiology
Southern Illinois University Carbondale – Carbondale, IL 62901
Mentor: Andrew Wood., Ph.D.
Thesis: Biochemical response of Brachypodium distachyon to
ultraviolet B- radiation
08/2012 – 10/2017 Ph.D. in Human Physiology
University of Kentucky – Lexington, KY 40536
Postgraduate Training
11/2017 – 11/2018 Postdoctoral Fellow - Bioengineering
Stanford University – Stanford, CA 94305
11/2018 – 10/22 Postdoctoral Fellow - Bioengineering
UC Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Research
Focus of the Laboratory: The Blair Laboratory is primarily focused on elucidating mechanisms that contribute to sarcomere dysfunction and heart failure.
Current Projects in the lab:
Circadian regulation of contractile function
The impact of chemotherapies on sarcomere function and sarcomeregenesis
The impact of cytokines on sarcomere function and calcium handling