This Project Grant award from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (CFDA 93.350) provides $158,000.00 in funding to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to investigate the role of the GATAD1 gene in maintaining normal cardiac function and responding to cardiac stress. The research aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which loss of GATAD1 leads to the development of dilated cardiomyopathy, as observed in a family with a homozygous GATAD1 mutation. The project will use GATAD1 knockout mouse models to study the effects of GATAD1 deletion on cardiac gene expression, structure, and function during aging and in response to pressure overload. This work is expected to enhance understanding of the critical role GATAD1 plays in regulating cardiac health and the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy. The award period runs from March 2024 to March 2025.