SUMMARY
The research of Sonja Suvakov, M.D., Ph.D., focuses on topics related to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and exploring aging mechanisms at the cellular level. Dr. Suvakov is developing therapies to help prevent cardiovascular and renal injury, both during the affected pregnancy and later in life. She also is striving to understand how cellular aging, also called senescence, contributes to organ damage, particularly in conditions such as preeclampsia.
Dr. Suvakov's work explores how aging cells in the endothelium affect other cells — particularly in the heart and kidneys, two organs heavily impacted by preeclampsia. Dr. Suvakov is finding novel therapeutic targets to develop efficient and safe therapeutic strategies for women to try to prevent preeclampsia from developing and alleviate cardiovascular burden in these women later in life.
Focus areas
- Cellular senescence in preeclampsia. Dr. Suvakov investigates how cellular senescence in general and senescence in endothelial cells specifically contribute to preeclampsia and its hallmarks, endothelial dysfunction, and kidney and heart injury. By harnessing senescence as an underlying mechanism in preeclampsia, Dr. Suvakov is developing therapeutic approaches that will target senescence in preeclampsia. She also is collaborating with other researchers to devise novel diagnostic tools for preeclampsia.
- Cell-to-cell communication. Dr. Suvakov studies senescent cells that release harmful signals that may damage other vital cells, such as those in the heart and kidneys. She also focuses on how extracellular vesicles contribute to cell-to-cell communication and may influence the progression of preeclampsia by spreading harmful signals, particularly from senescent cells. To gain deeper insights into how different kidney cells are affected by senescence, Dr. Suvakov collaborates extensively with other researchers and uses advanced methods such as single-cell RNA sequencing and organoids. This allows her to study individual cell types and their specific responses to senescence and damage.
- Women's health. Beyond the focus on pregnancy, Dr. Suvakov's research looks at how conditions such as preeclampsia may accelerate aging in women, affecting their cardiovascular and kidney health later in life. This adds to the understanding of the long-term health risks women face after pregnancy complications. Dr. Suvakov is working to transform women's cardiovascular health in pregnancy and beyond, preventing unnecessary premature deaths from cardiovascular disease and reducing the burden of preeclampsia later in life.
Significance to patient care
Preeclampsia is a leading cause of death in women who are pregnant. It greatly contributes to poor cardiovascular outcomes later in life. There is no early diagnostic test for preeclampsia and no treatment that targets the cause of the condition.
Dr. Suvakov's research is paving the way for earlier detection, more-effective treatments and better long-term care for women who have preeclampsia. This makes healthier pregnancies more likely and leads to better health after pregnancy.
Professional highlights
- Associate editor, Hypertension in Pregnancy, 2023-present.
- Section editor, Women's Health, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 2023-present.
- Career Development Award, American Heart Association, 2023-2026.
- Department of Medicine Outstanding Research Fellow, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, 2022.
- Member, Reviewer Committee, Women's Health and Kidney Diseases Section, Kidney Week, American Society of Nephrology, 2022.
- Fulbright Visiting Scholar Award, 2018-2019.