Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin, PhD

Research themes

  • Cardiac metabolism
  • Circadian biology
  • Women’s heart health

Research interests

  • Uncover the circadian factors and pathways by which circadian misalignment leads to cardiometabolic dysfunction
  • Studying how controlling feeding/fasting cycles affect cardiac function in cardiometabolic syndrome and contribute or prevent the development of cardiometabolic heart failure
  • Studying the genes and networks that are associated with both circadian rhythms and metabolic function toward developing innovative therapeutic strategies to treat cardiometabolic dysfunction

Research affiliations

  • Principal investigator, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre

Research summary

Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin’s research program focuses on understanding sex-dependent influences that link circadian biology and cardiometabolic dysfunction in heart failure. Studies are directed toward understanding the molecular signaling pathways that impact cardiac metabolism and the environmental influences imposed by alterations in the light/dark cycle. In addition, Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin’s research program focuses on cardiometabolic-circadian crosstalk, and how feeding/fasting cycles mutually affect metabolism and circadian rhythm. The long-term goal of this research is directed toward developing new therapeutic strategies that will mitigate cardiometabolic dysfunction and heart failure.

Biography

Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin received her PhD from Tel-Aviv University, followed by a postdoctoral training at the University of Manitoba, where she received a fellowship from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). 

Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin focuses her research program on women’s heart health, with the goal to advance knowledge and education toward improved diagnosis, treatment and quality of life of women with cardiac disease.

Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin has a track record of publishing in high quality, peer-reviewed journals, including Circulation, Journal of Clinical Investigations, Circulation Research, Autophagy, Nature Communication and others.

She is co-editing a book on women’s heart health and a special issue on cardiac growth control and heart cell death in the journal Cells.

She also serves on many journal editorial boards, including American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, and Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pathophysiology.

Education

  • Post-doctoral fellowship, department of physiology and pathophysiology, University of Manitoba
  • PhD (biotechnology), department of molecular microbiology and biotechnology, Tel Aviv University
  • MSc (biotechnology), department of molecular microbiology and biotechnology, Tel Aviv University
  • BSc (biology), Tel Aviv University

Awards

  • International Society for Heart Research, Young Investigator Best Research Presentation Award, (2022)
  • International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences, Dr. Roberto Bolli Young Investigator Competition Award (2021)
  • Martha Donovan Women’s Leadership Development Award, Winnipeg foundation, University of Manitoba (2020)
  • International Society for Heart Research North American Section, Young Investigator Competition Award Finalist (2020)
  • American Heart Association, Paul Dudley White International Scholar (2020)
  • Arnold Naimark Young Investigator Award, 19th annual Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences Awards Day (2017)
  • Canadian Institute of Health Research, Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (2017- 2021)

Contact us

Physiology and Pathophysiology
432 Basic Medical Sciences Building
745 Bannatyne Avenue
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9 Canada

physiology@umanitoba.ca
204-789-3696
204-789-3934