Rate My Professor Evangelos Michelakis

Evangelos Michelakis is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. He serves as Associate Chair of Research for the Department of Medicine and as Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute. Michelakis has been at the University of Alberta since 1998. His research centers on vascular biology, pulmonary hypertension, and cancer, with a focus on mitochondrial function and applied molecular medicine. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Applied Molecular and Mitochondrial Medicine. In 2021 he was named a Killam Professor. Michelakis is a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) and the American College of Cardiology (FACC). Recent work from his laboratory has identified a genetic variant that can help identify patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and has revealed previously unknown mechanisms by which cell metabolism influences cancer cell growth.

Michelakis leads translational research efforts that bridge basic science discoveries with clinical applications in cardiology and oncology. His team has contributed to understanding how mitochondria regulate cell decisions regarding growth, repair, or death, with implications for both cardiovascular disease and aggressive cancers. He teaches in the Translational Research Training Program, including modules on biomarkers and drug target validation. Michelakis continues to direct the Cardiovascular Research Institute and maintains an active role in advancing mitochondrial medicine research at the institution.