Notable Alumni
P. Christian Schulze, MD, PhD
Education: MD and PhD, University of Leipzig; Internal Medicine Residency, Boston University; Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship, Columbia University; Postdoctoral Fellowship, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Current Position: Professor and Chair, Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Cardiology, Angiology, Pneumology and Intensive Medical Care, University Hospital Jena
Research: Dr. Schulze leads clinical and translational research in advanced heart failure, with a focus on cardiac and systemic metabolism, ventricular assist devices, and cardiac transplantation outcomes. His team investigates novel metabolic and prognostic markers in heart failure and mechanical circulatory support.
Konstantinos Drosatos, MSc, PhD, FAHA
Education: PhD, University of Crete and Boston University; MSc, University of Crete; BSc, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Current Position: Ohio Eminent Scholar; Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neurobiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Research: Dr. Drosatos investigates the signaling mechanisms that connect cardiac stress to metabolic dysfunction in conditions such as diabetes, sepsis, and ischemia. His lab focuses on the transcriptional regulation of lipid metabolism and mitochondrial integrity, with major discoveries involving KLF5 and cardiac lipotoxicity.
Prabha Nagareddy, M.Pharm, PhD, FAHA
Education: M.Pharm, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences; PhD, University of British Columbia
Current Position: Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Research: Dr. Nagareddy studies the inflammatory signaling pathways linking hematopoietic stem cells to systemic inflammation in cardiometabolic diseases. His research focuses on neutrophil-driven mechanisms and the repurposing of FDA-approved drugs to combat chronic inflammation and improve cardiovascular outcomes.
Itsaso Garcia-Arcos, PhD
Education: PhD, University of the Basque Country; Master of Advanced Studies in Physiology, University of the Basque Country; BSc in Biochemistry and Biology, University of the Basque Country
Current Position: Research Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Cell Biology
Research: Dr. Garcia-Arcos investigates pulmonary lipid metabolism, with a focus on surfactant lipid homeostasis in alveolar type 2 cells. Her research examines how lipid imbalance contributes to lung and cardiovascular diseases using molecular, cellular, and in vivo approaches.