The Pavlovic group investigates how electrical, metabolic and structural changes in the heart create susceptibility to arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy and heart failure. The group combines mechanistic laboratory research with human cardiac models and clinically informed collaborations.
Atrial cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation
The group studies the cellular and molecular processes that create a substrate for atrial fibrillation, including altered ion transport and calcium handling, fibrosis, metabolic stress and cellular senescence. The aim is to identify earlier markers of atrial disease and develop mechanism-based approaches that prevent atrial fibrillation and its progression.
Chronic kidney disease-associated cardiomyopathy
Chronic kidney disease markedly increases the risk of heart failure, arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Davor leads a British Heart Foundation-funded work investigating how early cardiac electrical, metabolic and structural abnormalities develop in chronic kidney disease and whether they can be prevented or reversed. This work brings together experimental cardiovascular science, nephrology, clinical cardiology and advanced cardiac phenotyping.
Obesity and cardiometabolic remodelling
The group investigates how obesity, altered lipid handling and metabolic stress affect cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts and their interactions. Current work examines how these changes influence electrophysiology, calcium handling, contractile function, fibrosis and susceptibility to arrhythmia, including the effects of fatty acids and adipose-derived signals on human cardiac models.
Human cardiac models and engineered heart tissue
The laboratory uses human induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts to develop multicellular and three-dimensional models of cardiac disease. These systems allow the group to investigate human disease mechanisms, study communication between cardiac cell types and evaluate potential therapies, while contributing to the replacement and reduction of animal use.
Cardiac electrophysiology, optical mapping and artificial intelligence
Davor’s group has expertise in cardiac electrophysiology and optical mapping of voltage and calcium across isolated cells, engineered tissues and intact hearts. The group developed ElectroMap, an open-source platform for the analysis and visualisation of optical mapping data. Current research extends these approaches through multiparametric imaging, automated motion tracking, machine learning and integration with molecular and metabolic datasets.
Cardiac ion transport
Davor’s earlier research established important mechanisms controlling intracellular sodium and the cardiac sodium pump, particularly regulation by phospholemman. This work continues to underpin the group’s broader interest in excitation-contraction coupling, arrhythmia and cardiac dysfunction.
The group works with basic scientists, clinicians, computational researchers and imaging specialists at Birmingham and with national and international collaborators. Current research is supported by organisations including the British Heart Foundation, Heart Research UK and the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research.