Dr. Aldons Lusis is a distinguished scientist and leading authority in cardiovascular genetics and systems biology. He currently serves as Distinguished Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA with appointments across multiple departments including Medicine, Human Genetics, and Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics. His laboratory at UCLA has established a unique interdisciplinary approach that bridges traditional biomedical disciplines to investigate pathways underlying common cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Dr. Lusis has built a research program that exploits natural genetic variation among inbred strains of mice to identify novel targets and formulate hypotheses about disease mechanisms.
Dr. Lusis's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of the genetic and metabolic pathways underlying cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. His influential 2010 paper on "Cardiovascular networks: systems-based approaches to cardiovascular disease" established a new paradigm for understanding cardiovascular disorders through network analysis and systems biology. His laboratory pioneered the use of genetics, molecular biology, and informatics to investigate the complex interactions between lipid metabolism and inflammation in cardiovascular disease. This work has provided crucial insights into the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and related conditions that affect millions worldwide. The NIH has consistently supported his innovative research through multiple grants including R01 and P01 awards from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
As the program lead for the Cardiovascular Disease and Lipid Metabolism program at UCLA Health, Dr. Lusis has fostered interdisciplinary collaborations that bridge basic science and clinical applications. His recent work on the connections between gut microbes, microbe-derived metabolites like TMAO, and cardiovascular diseases has opened new avenues for research and potential therapeutic interventions. Dr. Lusis continues to propel innovative research that integrates genetics, molecular biology, and informatics to tackle complex cardiovascular disorders. His ongoing work promises to further elucidate the complex interplay between metabolism, inflammation, and cardiovascular health, potentially leading to transformative approaches for disease prevention and treatment.
