Current Members

Our Labs

Dr. Paul A. Iaizzo has been at the University of Minnesota since 1990, performing research and teaching graduate and undergraduate courses. In 1997, Dr. Iaizzo and his coworkers began working on large mammalian isolated heart models, and thus the Visible Heart® Laboratories (VHL) were created in collaboration with Medtronic. Today, these labs are a premiere place to perform translational systems physiology research which ranges from cellular and tissue studies to organ and whole body investigations. The VHL embodies a creative atmosphere which is energized by some of the best and brightest students at the University. Our lab staff has over 100 years of collective research experience and functions as a highly efficient and productive team.

Faculty
Javier Navarro Rueda, VHL Faculty

Javier Navarro Rueda, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery

Staff

Current Staff

John Brigham

John Brigham, MILS  
Heart Library Curator  
[email protected]
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Kara Heinle

Kara Heinle, BBA, MA 
Lab Coordinator  
612-624-3959  
[email protected]
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Rachel Nelson

Rachel Larson, BA, RDCS  
Researcher 1  
[email protected]

Sammi Niehaus

Samantha Niehaus, BS
Researcher 1
[email protected]
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Weston

Weston Upchurch, MS  
Researcher 3  
612-626-3956  
[email protected]
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gary

Gary Williams, BCpE  
Applications Programmer  
612-624-3161  
[email protected]
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Extended Staff

Erik

Erik Donley

Madeline Wethington

Madeline Wethington, MS
[email protected]
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Adjunct Professors, Postdoctoral Fellows

Adjunct Assistant Professors

Michael Eggen

Michael Eggen, PhD 
Sr. Research Manager- Cardiac Implantables Research and Technology, Medtronic

Alexander Hill

Alexander Hill, PhD 
Sr Product Development Program Director at Medtronic

Timothy Laske

Timothy Laske, PhD
Vice President of Research and Business Development - Medtronic AF Solutions

Nicholas Skadsberg

Nicholas Skadsberg, PhD
Sr. Commercial Marketing Director - Brady at Medtronic

Postdoctoral Fellows

Kevin Muneton

Kevin Muneton, MD
[email protected]
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Emma Schaffer

Emma Schaffer, MD
[email protected]
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Doctoral Students

Doctoral Students

Michael Bielecki

Michael Bielecki 
Biomedical Engineering 
612-624-8742 
[email protected]
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David Buyck

David Buyck 
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
[email protected]
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Amanda DeVos

Amanda DeVos 
Biomedical Engineering 
612-624-8742 
[email protected]
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Neal Duongf

Neal Duong 
Biomedical Engineering 
612-624-8742 
[email protected]
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Kayla Molina

Kayla Molina
Biomedical Engineering
612-624-8742
[email protected]
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Ryan Nadybal

Ryan Nadybal 
Biomedical Engineering 
612-624-8742
[email protected]
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Weston

Weston Upchurch 
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
612-626-3956 
[email protected]
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James Villar-Mead

James Villar-Mead
Biomedical Engineering
612-624-8742
[email protected]
LinkedIn

Master Students

Master Students

Noe Bazan

Noe Bazan
Robotics
[email protected]
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Erika Casal

Erika Casal
Biomedical Engineering
[email protected]
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Shivangi Pandey

Shivangi Pandey
Mechanical Engineering
[email protected]
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Anders Torp

Anders Torp
Mechanical Engineering
[email protected]
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Audrey Wethington

Audrey Wethington
Biological Sciences
[email protected]

Volunteers

Medical Students

Nevin Gupta

Nevin Gupta
Medical Student
[email protected]

Undergraduate Students

Michelle Brubaker

Michelle Brubaker
NSF ATP-Bio REU
[email protected]

Jordan Erickson

Jordan Erickson
Human Physiology
[email protected]

Alexander Gherciuc

Alexander Gherciuc
Biochemistry
[email protected]

Taylor Isabel

Taylor Isabel
Biomedical Engineering
[email protected]

Abigail Theis

Abigail Theis
Human Physiology
[email protected]

Kaw Zan

Kaw Zan
Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
[email protected]

Paul Iaizzo

Paul A. Iaizzo, PhD, FHRS, FIEEE

Director, Visible Heart® Laboratories
Professor, Dept. of Surgery

612-624-7912