Team
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 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 Visible Heart® Laboratories embody 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.
- Staff
- Adjunct Assistant Professors, Postdoctoral Fellows
- Doctoral Students
- Master Students
- Volunteers, Undergrad, Directed Research
Current Staff
John Brigham, MILS
Heart Library Curator
cole0882@umn.edu
Kara Heinle, BAA, MA
Lab Coordinator
612-624-3959
heinl044@umn.edu
Rachel Nelson, BA, RDCS
Researcher 1
nels7604@umn.edu
Samanta Toczyl
Researcher 1
toczy004@umn.edu
Weston Upchurch, MS
Researcher 3
612-626-3956
wupchurc@umn.edu
Gary Williams, BCpE
Applications Programmer
612-624-3161
willi067@umn.edu
Extended Staff
Andrew Boelter
David Buyck
Erik Donley
Jeeho Hong
Monica Mahre
Adjunct Assistant Professors
Michael Eggen, PhD
Sr. Research Manager- Cardiac Implantables Research and Technology, Medtronic
Alexander Hill, PhD
Sr Product Development Program Director at Medtronic
Timothy Laske, PhD
Vice President of Research and Business Development - Medtronic AF Solutions
Nicholas Skadsberg, PhD
Sr. Commercial Marketing Director - Brady at Medtronic
Postdoctoral Fellows
Jörg Reifart, MD
Postdoctoral associate
reifa001@umn.edu
Enrique Vergara Escudero, MD
Postdoctoral associate
everesc8@umn.edu
Michael Bielecki
Biomedical Engineering
612-624-8742
biele039@umn.edu
John Carney
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
carne115@umn.edu
Amanda DeVos
Biomedical Engineering
612-624-8742
devos014@umn.edu
Neal Duong
Biomedical Engineering
612-624-8742
duong148@umn.edu
Masha Gundershaug
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
iasso001@umn.edu
Kayla Molina
Biomedical Engineering
612-624-8742
molin459@umn.edu
Ryan Nadybal
Biomedical Engineering
612-624-8742
nadyb001@umn.edu
Weston Upchurch
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
612-626-3956
wupchurc@umn.edu
James Villar-Mead
Biomedical Engineering
612-624-8742
villa679@umn.edu
Erika Casal
Biomedical Engineering
casal056@umn.edu
Nathan Huntley
Mechanical Engineering
huntl086@umn.edu
Madeline Wethington
Biological Sciences
wethi008@umn.edu
Sam Belding
Biomedical Engineering
beldi005@umn.edu
Jack Burt
Medical Student
burt0368@umn.edu
Emily Chavez
Human Physiology
chave376@umn.edu
Hanna Duque
Human Physiology
valle170@umn.edu
Alexander Gherciuc
Biochemistry
gherc002@umn.edu
Maya Kittelson
Biomedical Engineering
kitte143@umn.edu
Nick Larson
Human Physiology
lars6943@umn.edu
Cindy Li
Human Physiology
li002416@umn.edu
Camille Mahabadi
Biomedical Engineering
mahab023@umn.edu
Samantha Niehaus
Biology
nieha029@umn.edu
Mohammed Omer
Human Physiology
omer0030@umn.edu
Devna Panda
Biomedical Engineering
panda057@umn.edu
Erik Polsfut
Human Physiology
polsf010@umn.edu
Maximilian Sebion Calvesio
Human Physiology
sebio006@umn.edu
Audrey Wethington
Biology
wethi009@umn.edu
Kaw Zan
Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
zan00003@umn.edu