Nataliya Kibiryeva, MD

Assistant Professor of Biosciences

Nataliya Kibiryeva, MD, focuses her research on the molecular mechanisms of heart development and how disruptions in these processes contribute to congenital heart defects. Her work examines the role of noncoding RNAs, particularly small Cajal body-specific RNAs (scaRNAs), in regulating gene expression and alternative mRNA splicing. Building on findings from studies of tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect, her research seeks to better understand how changes in RNA regulation affect cardiac development.

She also studies gene expression changes during human fetal heart development, using transcriptomic analysis to identify molecular processes involved in normal heart formation and congenital heart disease.

Kibiryeva collaborates with researchers and physicians at the Ward Family Heart Center at Children's Mercy on studies of congenital heart defects, including the use of cardiac organoids to investigate genetic and epigenetic mechanisms controlling heart development. Her collaborative research also extends to cardio-oncology, where she applies expertise in bioinformatics and RNA sequencing to examine the cardiovascular effects of cancer therapies.

In addition to her research, Kibiryeva mentors students in experimental methods, bioinformatics, data analysis and scientific communications.