Maria Paola Santini

I am currently an Assistant Professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City with experience in cardiovascular research, progenitor cells, vascular biology, and translational studies.

By way of background, I gained my PhD at University of Heidelberg, Germany, studying the role of insulin-like growth factor 1Ea propeptide (IGF-1Ea) in cardiac development and pathologies in Prof. Rosenthal’s laboratory.

In 2007, I moved to Imperial College London, UK, to start my postdoctoral training. I was awarded two British Heart Foundation Project Grants and the Career Support Fellowship from the Magdi Yacoub Institute, supporting the studies on the role of the serum glucocorticoid kinase 1 in cardiac tissue revascularization and the lineage specification of P19 teratocarcinoma cells in presence of IGF-1Ea propeptide overexpression. In 2014, I joined Dr. Kovacic’s laboratory at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), NY, to complete my postdoctoral training, and I discovered the dual role of mesenchymal progenitor stromal cells expressing the platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα MSCs) in regulating tissue revascularization versus fibrosis in a context and spatiotemporally dependent manner. In 2019, I was promoted Instructor to start a program of preclinical studies and in 2022 I was further promoted Assistant Professor of Medicine to study multiorgan fibrosis with a platform of network analyses and specialized microscopy in the cardiorenal system. These studies involve the design of systems biology, transgenic technologies and gene therapy analyses to favor therapeutic strategies to block fibrotic diseases and induce tissue regeneration.  

Beyond my expertise, I have always served the Institutes, Universities and Centers that supported my research by promoting science and education. At Imperial College London, I taught and mentored students and postdocs, and contributed as scientific ambassador to the Mending Broken Heart Campaign for the British Heart Foundation. At Icahn School of Medicine, I have organized seminars, moderate student and speaker sessions during internal seminars, and I have worked alongside the Mount Sinai Development Office to deliver my scientific discoveries to potential donors to fund our laboratory. 

I have been a reviewer panelist for the American Heart Association and the European Research Council Young Investigator Award. I have reviewed manuscripts for PNAS, JMCC, Frontiers Scientific and Journal of Cardiovascular Therapeutics. I have been a reviewer panelist for Biomedical Research project funded by the British Heart Foundation at Imperial College London. Related to my teaching expertise, while in UK, I have lectured PhD and MD students in prestigious Universities, such as Imperial College London and St George’s University London on mouse biology, transgenic technologies and mechanisms of regeneration in vertebrates and lower vertebrates.

I have been awarded several grants including two British Heart Foundation Projects grants and I am now supported by the career development award by the American Heart Association. I am a co-investigator 

2022-present               Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYC

                                       Assistant Professor of Medicine

• Awarded the American Heart Association Career Development Award
• Leading the research investigating the mechanisms inducing progenitor cells expressing the platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFR) to fibro-adipogenic diseases in the cardiac and renal tissues using network analysis, transgenic technologies and high content imaging analyses. 
• Instructing research assistants, PhD students and postdocs in laboratory techniques and theses, manuscripts writing and analysis

2019- 2022                  Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYC

                                      Instructor of Medicine

• Leading the research investigating the role of cardiac stromal mesenchymal progenitor cells expressing the platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFR) in large animal models of cardiac ischemia 
• Developed technical approaches to study the role of HDAC9 in Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EndoMT) mechanisms during atherosclerotic plaque formation (manuscript published in JCI)
• Analyzed the role of cardiac reprogramming in vascular regeneration by inducing hind limb ischemia to mice and measuring blood flow using Laser Doppler (manuscript published in Molecular Therapy)

2014 - 2019                 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYC

                                      Leducq funded Postdoctoral fellow

• Discovered the dual role of PDGFR stromal progenitor cells in tissue revascularization and fibrosis in physiological and pathological conditions in ischemic murine skeletal muscle through the use of several transgenic mouse models, including cell lineage tracking, ablation of cells and Brainbow cell progeny differentiation analysis by Cre-Lox-induced recombination (published in Cell Reports)
• Instructed medical students, research assistants and assisted rotating PhD students on microscopy, flow cytometry, cell culture maintenance, hind limb ischemia induction and data analysis
• Published 3 articles in peer-reviewed and top-tier journals on the dual function of mesenchymal stromal progenitor cells in regenerating tissues and major artery.

2007- 2013                           National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK

                                                British Heart Foundation funded Postdoctoral Fellow

2010- 2013                          Magdi Yacoub Institute

                                               Affiliated Senior Research Fellow

• Led research project studying the role mediated by Serum Gluocorticoid Kinase 1 in cardiac revascularization by knockout murine models, induction of myocardial infarction in mice and adenovirus mediated modulation of in vitro assay of vessel formation (tubulogenesis) with murine endothelial cells
• Analyzed the role of the insulin-like growth factor pro-peptide IGF-1Ea in mediating embryonic stem cell differentiation into mature cardiomyocytes by developing lentiviral delivery system and assessing DMSO treatments to induce stem cell differentiation
• Set and delivered IGF-1Ea gene by gene therapy in murine models of myocardial infarction and isoproterenol-induced cardiac dysfunction to alleviate cardiovascular diseases
• Published 13 articles in peer-reviewed journals about cardiac regeneration, tissue revascularization and mechanisms of differentiation of ESC-derived cardiomyocytes
• Obtained funding as Co-PI (Project grant from the British Heart Foundation 2009-2013) and awarded a Career fellowship from the Magdi Yacoub Institute 
• Supervised successfully 3 PhD students and one postdoc (PhD award and publications)

OTHER EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

1999-2001                             Associate Researcher, Cutaneous Biology Research Centre, Mass General Hospital

                                                Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

                                               Studied the role of calcineurin in keratinocytes proliferation and differentiation

1997-1999                            Associate Researcher, Department of Dermatology, University of Rochester,   

                                               Rochester, NY, USA

                                              Studied the role of retinoic X receptor in human skin function and its interaction with

                                              RARs

EDUCATION

2001 - 2005                          European Molecular Biology Laboratories, University of Heidelberg (Germany)          

                                               Doctor of Philosophy, PhD in Molecular Biology, Magna cum Laude  

                                               Designed and developed the study analyzing the role of Insulin like growth factor pro-

                                               peptides in cardiac regeneration and revascularization in ischemic disease

                                              Supervisor: Prof. Nadia Rosenthal

1995- 1997                           Institute of Nutrition affiliated University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy

                                               Master of Science in Biotechnology

                                                GPA: 104/110

                                               Discovered the role of BCL-2 in modulating specific membrane lipid expression in

                                               oxidative stress conditions

                                               Supervisor: Prof. Fabio Virgili

1991- 1995                       University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy

                                            Bachelor of Science in Biology, Major: Molecular Biology, Minor: Chemistry

                                            GPA: 104/110