Dr. Michael Ackerman stands as a preeminent leader in cardiovascular genomics and inherited heart rhythm disorders at the Mayo Clinic. He holds distinguished positions as Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Molecular Pharmacology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine while directing both the Long QT Syndrome/Inherited Arrhythmia Clinic and the Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory. After completing his M.D./Ph.D. training at the Mayo Clinic, he pursued specialized residency in pediatric medicine and fellowship in pediatric cardiology before establishing himself as a pioneering genetic cardiologist. His career trajectory culminated in joining the Mayo Clinic faculty in 2000, where he founded the institution's Genetic Heart Rhythm Clinic and established himself as a visionary in the field of sudden cardiac death genomics.
Dr. Ackerman's groundbreaking research has transformed the understanding and management of inherited cardiac channelopathies through comprehensive genomic investigations. Over the past two decades, his laboratory has discovered more than twelve sudden-death-predisposing genes that are now incorporated into commercial genetic testing panels for conditions including long QT syndrome and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. His innovative work has enabled significant advancements in diagnostic precision, risk stratification methodologies, and therapeutic approaches for patients with genetic heart rhythm disorders. Most notably, his development of videoscopic left cardiac sympathetic denervation surgery represents a paradigm-shifting treatment strategy that has improved outcomes for high-risk patients across multiple cardiac channelopathies.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Ackerman has profoundly influenced the global cardiovascular community through leadership roles including presidency of the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation since 2006. He has mentored numerous medical students, M.D./Ph.D. candidates, and pediatric fellows, many of whom have received prestigious awards under his guidance. His expertise is further recognized through service on editorial boards of leading journals including the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Heart Rhythm, where he shapes the scientific discourse in cardiac electrophysiology. Currently, Dr. Ackerman continues to drive innovation by searching for genetic causes of currently unexplained syndromes while advancing personalized medicine approaches that promise to further revolutionize care for patients with inherited cardiovascular conditions.
