Dr. Gaetano Santulli earned his MD and PhD from “Federico II” University in Naples, Italy, and completed clinical training in Cardiology followed by postdoctoral research at Columbia University Medical Center. He is now Professor at CUNY School of Medicine in Manhattan, NY. Dr. Santulli is a physician-scientist whose research explores the molecular mechanisms linking cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and aging, with a focus on cardiomyocyte function, endothelial health, calcium handling, mitochondrial regulation, and inflammatory signaling. His most important contributions include uncovering the role of intracellular and mitochondrial calcium in heart failure and diabetes. He demonstrated that RyR2 regulates insulin release from pancreatic beta cells (JCI 2015) and identified mitochondrial calcium overload as a critical factor in cardiac dysfunction (PNAS 2015), providing key insights into disease mechanisms and potential therapies. He has also shown how microRNAs, including miR-126 and miR-143/145, modulate endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cell function, influencing angiogenesis, atherosclerosis, and in-stent restenosis, highlighting opportunities for miR-based therapies (JCI 2014). In addition, Dr. Santulli has advanced understanding of mitochondrial dysfunction in aging, elucidating mechanisms of bioenergetic decline and cardiac remodeling. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his research identified a 29% increase in dyslipidemia risk (JCI 2024), particularly in seniors and individuals with type 2 diabetes, underscoring the broader cardiovascular impact of the virus. Dr. Santulli’s laboratory integrates cellular, molecular, and translational studies to identify novel therapeutic targets aimed at preventing heart failure, vascular complications, and age-related cardiometabolic disease. His overarching goal is to translate mechanistic discoveries into strategies that preserve cardiovascular health and improve patient outcomes. Through this work, Dr. Santulli continues to advance understanding of the fundamental pathways driving cardiovascular and metabolic disorders and to lay the foundation for innovative, targeted interventions that bridge basic science with clinical relevance.